NICE have raised the bidding for Lorient striker Terem Moffi to £16 million after Premier League duo West Ham United and Southampton both saw bids rejected for the Nigeria international, according to L’Equipe.
Three years ago, Rangers rejected the chance to sign a little-known striker who had only just touched down on Belgian soil after a prolific spell in Lithuania. KV Kortrijk were demanding an admittedly-lofty £4.5 million at the time.
With the benefit of hindsight however – Moffi keeping pace with Kylian Mbappe and co at the top of the Ligue 1 scoring charts – Rangers would probably have to accept that the free-scoring 23-year-old was a punt worth taking.
The goals have been flowing for Moffi like a broken faucet over the last few seasons, and there’s not a plumber in sight. A typically composed finish in Lorient’s 2-2 midweek draw with Monaco was his 11th in 17 Ligue 1 games in 2022/23. Only Paris Saint-Germain superstar Mbappe (13) has more.
Both Southampton and West Ham could only dream of such productivity. The Saints and The Hammers have hit the target just 15 times apiece this season – just four more goals than the relentless Moffi has all on his own.
Moffi’s price-tag, as you might expect, has grown rather considerably since those formative days in Kortrijk. Lorient want £25 million, and rejected lowball bids from Southampton and West Ham during the first few weeks of the window.