The Irons are ready to make a major move for Demba Ba in the January transfer market as they bid to solve their goals crisis.
Despite Andy Carroll returning to training next week, the club are deeply aware that they need a second quality hitman and Ba has joined Tottenham’s Emmanuel Adebayor at the top of their wanted list.
The club are planning to do everything in their power to shift Modibo Maiga, Carlton Cole and Mladen Petric as they make room in their wage bill for a real quality player.
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has been reported as making a personal appeal to ex-Hammer Ba.
According to Sun reporter and Irons supporter Andy Dillon, Sullivan spent an hour on the phone with striker Ba on the last day of the summer transfer window to try to persuade him to go back to Upton Park.
But at that time the 28-year-old Ba was only interested in a Champions League club like Arsenal. Now, however,jhe is now third-choice striker under Blues boss Jose Mourinho and has no future at Stamford Bridge.
Hammers chiefs also feel Ba owes them after they took a punt on him in January 2011. The Player was at Hoffenheim but had been written off for having dodgy knees and failed a medical at Stoke.
Ba, 28, scored seven goals for West Ham that season but quit following relegation in the summer to join Newcastle.