West Ham have been priced out of a move for Chelsea striker Armando Broja, according to the Claret & Hugh.

It was reported on Wednesday that the Hammers would join Fulham and Wolves in battling for the Albanian international’s services but a source told the website that the forward is no longer a target:

“We liked him 18 months ago, but not now. Chelsea will want too much and wages will be high.”

Broja’s current asking price is said to be £50m, which is a figure that West Ham see as being well above his market value.

Chelsea may still lower their valuation of Broja

It is believed that Broja’s price tag is based on the value of other strikers. Manchester United signed Rasmus Hojlund for £72m while Brighton are said to be demanding as much as £100m for Evan Ferguson.

In that context, Chelsea see the £50m figure as reasonable. However, if they don’t get any offers, they may be forced into lowering the requested fee.

What other strikers could West Ham pursue?

Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy is known to be high on the club’s list of targets. The Guinean international has been in scintillating form this season, having scored 19 times in only 16 appearances.

However, he is currently playing for his country at the African Cup of Nations and there is a feeling that he may only leave his club in the summer rather than during the January transfer window.

The likes of Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez, Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee and Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke have all been cited as alternatives, but there are complications involved in all of those deals.

Martial is available, but he is suffering with fitness problems. Both Gimenez and Solanke are expected to cost the same amount as Broja, while Bologna won’t sell Zirkzee this month. West Ham could, therefore, still go back in for Broja before the transfer deadline.