West Ham target Serhou Guirassy will “be allowed to leave” Stuttgart during the January transfer window, according to Bild.

The German tabloid claims that the Bundesliga side have already lined up a replacement in case the Guinean international is sold next month.

Guirassy has a release clause in his contract that means he can leave for £15m, and Stuttgart acknowledge that it will be hard to keep hold of the striker following his exploits this season.

The 27-year-old has scored an impressive 18 goals in just 14 appearances, and that has attracted the attention of the Hammers and several other teams.

Who will West Ham have to fight to secure Guirassy’s signature?

Manchester United and Newcastle are also said to be keen on the forward, with both sides looking to reinforce their options upfront for the second half of the campaign.

It is thought that Guirassy’s price tag is particularly attractive for clubs pursuing the player, as it would help them avoid breaking Financial Fair Play regulations.

Are West Ham considering other strikers?

David Moyes’ team have been linked with plenty of names in recent weeks. Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke, Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez, Chelsea’s Armando Broja, RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner and Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike have all been mentioned as possible targets.

Guirassy would, however, be the cheapest if the Irons are intent on signing a forward on a permanent basis. Both Werner and Ekitike could be considered if West Ham want to loan a player, but the London club have to solve their striker problem one way or another.

Jarrod Bowen is currently leading the line, with Michail Antonio still unavailable due to a knee injury. Backup option Danny Ings has already shown that he is not up to the task of filling in so bringing in reinforcements is a top priority.