West Ham to Reject Carroll in Favour of Prolific Ivory Coast Striker – Report

West Ham United are in discussions with the representatives of prolific striker Wilfried Bony as they attempt to secure the services of the Vitesse Arnhem forward this summer.

The 24-year-old has been in sensational form this season and is currently topping the goal scoring charts in Holland where he has 26 goals in just 24 league games.

With West Ham virtually assured of staying in the Premier League it seems their chairman, David Gold and David Sullivan, are now ready to sanction a club record £12million offer for the Ivory Coast international.

Bony would likely be a direct replacement for Liverpool striker Andy Carroll who has seemingly not done enough during his season long loan to persuade the east London club to part with the £17million the Reds are seeking.

Carroll has scored just three league goals in his 16 games for West Ham and is now likely to return to Liverpool at the end of the season.

With West Ham seemingly deciding against doing a deal with Liverpool, it seems their full attention will go on persuading Vitesse to part with Bony. The Sun reports that the player's representatives are due in London this week in order to discuss the details of a move.

The Hammers have shown their willingness to spend big for the right player and last year broke their own transfer record when they signed Matt Jarvis from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £10.75million.

Vitesse would stand to make a significant profit on Bony as they managed to sign the striker for just £4million from Sparta Prague in January 2011 and he has gone on to score some 46 goals in just 63 games.

West Ham have a number of strikers at the club but Kevin Nolan remains their top scorer despite firing just six league goals, with another midfielder in Mark Noble second on the list scoring four times.

Sam Allardyce will be desperate to sign a proven goalscorer and it seems as though Bony is prepared to leave Holland in order to play in a bigger league.

"I am an ambitious player, I am enjoying my football in the Netherlands but I expect to move to a bigger league if I am doing well, I can't change that," Bony told Sky Sports.

"I love the Premier League and want to play here if there is an opportunity. But now I am happy we won a game for Ivory Coast after missing an opportunity in South Africa to win the Nations Cup."