WEST HAM BID FOR MODESTE AND BAKAMBU FAILS

Premier League side West Ham have had their bids for Cologne striker Anthony Modeste and Villareal forward Cedric Bakambu rejected.

The Hammers have been spending considerably in the transfer market of recent and they wanted to break club records for both stars.

The club had paid £20 million for Ghana international Andre Ayew who joined from Swansea last year. However, the club wanted to get the strikers for £22 million each this summer but the bids were thrown out.

The lack of depth affected the team last season when injury crises happened. With persistent injury problems of striker Andy Carroll and DiafraSakho, West Ham want more players. Modeste is a good player that has exceled in Germany after netting 25 times last season. Cologne want£35 million for the French player even though he is 29 years old.

A Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian almost signed the player recently but the transfer fee agreement was not as smooth. The Bundesliga side had to publicly announce the end of the talks as they could not make headway.

Coach SlavenBilic, who is under pressure at the London stadium, is an admirer of Modeste. He has tracked him for a while now and he is serious about signing him. Modeste spent a short time at Blackburn Rovers but failed to make his mark. He turned his fate around when he played for Hoffenheim before he moved to his present side Cologne. He remains contracted to the club until 2021.

Bakambu has been decent at Villareal. He netted 22 times last term. He can lead the attack and play in the wings. His versatility, youthfulness, speed and power is why West Ham want him. The club just needs to offer more money.