West Ham are “interested” in snapping up Newcastle striker Callum Wilson before next week’s transfer deadline, according to HITC Football.

The website claim that the Magpies are prepared to sell the England international for £18m this month in order to balance the books and a move to the London Stadium is a possibility.

Hammers boss David Moyes is keen to recruit a new No.9, with Michail Antonio still sidelined with a knee injury, and Danny Ings struggling to score goals.

Wilson seems like an ideal candidate. The 31-year-old scored 18 league goals for Newcastle last season, as his team finished in the Champions League places.

West Ham will face competition for the player

Another source, the Evening Standard, has confirmed that Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have also been alerted to Wilson’s availability.

All three teams are looking to sign a new striker before the transfer window shuts but there is no guarantee at this stage that they will table bids for the Newcastle forward.

Arsenal and Manchester United both have limited funds, while Chelsea are said to be focused on recruiting Jhon Duran from Aston Villa.

Are alternatives to Wilson being considered?

West Ham have been linked with multiple strikers this month, including the likes of Chelsea’s Armando Broja, AZ Alkmaar’s Vangelis Pavlidis, Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy, Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface and Feyenoord’s Sergio Gimenez.

However, clubs are reluctant to sell their players in January, and the ones that are available have excessively high valuations. With that being the case, the fact that Wilson is on the market for a relatively affordable price makes him an attractive target.

Of course, no such deal comes without its drawbacks. Despite his excellent scoring record, Wilson is injury-prone, and that may influence the Irons’ decision on whether to make a formal offer for him.