Bitter Moyes blow as Arsenal swoop in for West Ham target after record-breaking deal shut down

Victor Boniface represenst Bayer Leverkusen against Stuttgart

The chances of West Ham United capturing Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen have taken a huge hit, as the Irons will no longer be making a club-record attempt to sign him while Arsenal have just made a move of their own, according to reports.

Boniface has already established himself as one of the deadliest strikers in Germany, despite only joining Leverkusen from Union Saint-Gilloise in July. So far, the Nigerian has notched 16 goals and eight assists in 23 appearances. That includes Bundesliga braces against Borussia Monchengladbach, Darmstadt and Heidenheim.

Boniface has helped to fire Leverkusen to the top of the table. Xabi Alonso’s side have a seven-point lead on usual favourites Bayern Munich after playing an extra match, while they have gone unbeaten in their first 18 outings and won 15 of them.

Boniface’s brilliant form has unsurprisingly led to speculation he could land in the Premier League at some point in the near future.

Manchester United were the first English club to be linked with him, though West Ham soon moved into pole position to complete what would be a statement signing.

On Sunday, it was claimed that David Moyes’ side could obliterate their transfer record by landing Boniface in a big-money deal.

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There was no mention of how much West Ham are willing to spend on the 23-year-old, though it is more than the £51million they paid for Lucas Paqueta in August 2022.

However, there has now been serious doubt cast over whether Moyes will be able to link up with the Bundesliga tormentor.

Arsenal more likely to sign striker than West Ham

According to an update from Football Insider, West Ham are unlikely to make a record-breaking attempt for him, despite recent reports claiming that to be the case.

The main reason West Ham will not be moving for Boniface this month is that he recently had to undergo surgery on a groin problem. This has seen him miss Leverkusen’s last two games, as well as the Africa Cup of Nations.

Boniface will not return to first-team action until March at the earliest, ruining any hope of him arriving at the London Stadium this winter.

As West Ham need to bring in a new centre-forward immediately, it is highly likely they will sign someone else this month, rather than wait for Boniface to become available in the summer. Possible options include Armando Broja of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain outcast Hugo Ekitike.

Moyes may have to watch on as Boniface heads to one of West Ham’s London rivals in the summer, too. According to football.london, Arsenal have ‘made an enquiry’ to discuss the conditions for a potential deal with Leverkusen.

This seemingly confirms reports from January 2, which revealed that Arsenal are planning to rival West Ham for the attacker.

It appears Arsenal have drawn up a three-man shortlist of potential strikers who can replace Gabriel Jesus, which also includes Ivan Toney of Brentford.

Plus, Arsenal are tracking a new Brazilian star who has managed 16 goals in just 23 appearances so far this campaign.