West Ham are set to miss out on the signing of Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Taras Stepanenko, with Hoffenheim expected to pip the Hammers to the Ukrainian, reports ESPN.
Former Hammers head coach Slaven Bilic had been eyeing up a move for the 28-year-old, but his dismissal has cast doubt over West Ham’s January recruitment drive.
It remains to be seen whether the east London side will continue in their pursuit to sign Stepanenko in the New Year, though investment is expected as David Moyes looks to haul the team away from danger.
Moyes’ appointment, however, has seen Hoffenheim leapfrog their Premier League counterparts in the race to sign the Ukraine international, with an €8m move in the pipeline.
Moyes has been promised money to spend in January as he looks to boost the squad, though it’s yet to be determined who their targets may be with the Scot yet to fully assess the players at his disposal.
Stepanenko has started all five of Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League group games this season, but they’ll need to avoid defeat to Manchester City in the final match of Group F if they are to secure a spot in the next round of the competition after their 3-0 loss to Napoli on Tuesday night.
