Sunday 3 August 2014 13:13, UK
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce wants to sign one more striker before the transfer window closes and is looking for a younger option to Samuel Eto'o.
Allardyce has already added Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate to his squad this summer, but has lost Andy Carroll for around four months due to injury.
He has been linked with moves for Stoke City striker Peter Crouch and former Barcelona forward Eto’o, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea.
However, while Allardyce is not ruling out a possible deal for Eto'o, his priority is to bring a younger striker to Upton Park.
"There has been a lot of talk about Samuel Eto'o," said Allardyce after Saturday's penalty shoot-out win over Schalke.
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"From our point of view the chairman was perhaps looking at a younger player.
"Samuel is still available and we have decided he should be considered at some stage if we're not successful (in signing a younger player).
"I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Certainly while we've been here the chairman has made enquiries, whether they can be finalised I won't know until I get back. Everyone is working hard to bring in a new face to give us the opportunity to score the goals with the chances we're creating."
Meanwhile, Allardyce confirmed that recent signing Valencia is unlikely to be fit for the start of the Premier League season after playing for Ecuador at the World Cup.
He added: "We've got Enner Valencia but obviously we need to do three weeks' work with him before we consider him for the first team so we've got other players we hope will be successful on the front line in that time."
