Hammers set to net Peru poacher Paolo Guerrero

West Ham United are reported to have current Corinthians star Paolo Guerrero almost within their grasp, as Sam Allardyce looks to bolster his side, who are 3/1 for a top 10 finish.

The Peru international has 19 goals in 49 caps for his country, and is expected to join the Hammers on loan with a view to exercising a permanent option.

Guerrero would arrive at Upton Park with pedigree, having emerged from hometown club Alianza Lima to join Bayern Munich. The then youngster was promoted to Bayern’s first team in 2004, and made 27 appearances before switching to Hamburg, where he netted 51 goals.

At 30-years old Guerrero has shown he still has plenty of mileage left in the tank, having scored 15 times in 47 outings for Brazilian giants Corinthians. His versatility could come in handy for the Hammers, with the adaptable attacker able to play in any position across the front line.

It appears Allardyce has now turned to loan or low cost options, having already snapped up Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson on a temporary basis.
Despite adding six new permanent faces, it seems the West Ham boss is not yet satisfied with his squad, and the recruitment drive looks set to continue, with Bulgaria forward Valeri Bojinov rumoured to be in London for transfer talks.

Bojinov will be a familiar face for Premier League fans, having represented Manchester City from 2007 to 2010, making just 11 league appearances before injury problems saw him offloaded to Parma. The current Levski Sofia striker netted seven goals in 14 games last term, and is said to have a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for free.

Allardyce is also believed to be interested in luring Manchester City’s out-of-favour defensive duo Micah Richards and Matija Nastasic to Upton Park, with centre back James Tomkins only just ready to return from injury.

The pair made just 30 appearances between them for the Citizens last term, and are apparently surplus to requirements at the Etihad.

Whether Manuel Pellegrini is prepared to permanently offload right back Richards, who is a valuable part of the homegrown quota, remains to be seen, meaning a Hammers loan option could be viable. Nastasic, though, looks set to disappoint Allardyce by making a switch to Serie A giants Juventus.