Hammers in €5million striker bid

West Ham United have made a €5million bid for Macedonian international Goran Pandev, according to reports.

Pandev, who has spent the last five years with Lazio is reported to have been the subject of the bid as the Hammers desperately try to boost their attacking options with the transfer window set to close a week from today.

According to a report on calciomercato.com, West Ham have offered €5million + 50% of any future transfer fee for the 26-year-old deep-lying striker who had looked set to join Zenith St. Petersburg in a deal worth £13million earlier this year.

The 44-times capped international, who is his nation's all-time leading goalscorer began his career in Macedonia with minnows FK Belasica. However he was snapped up by Italian giants Inter at the age of just 18.

Having spent time on loan at both Spezia and Ancona without breaking into Inter's first team Pandev was offered a lifeline when Lazio bought out 50% of his contract from the Milanese. Despite only scoring three goals during his first season Pandev impressed sufficiently for Lazio to buy out the remaining 50% of his contract (from Udinese who had subsequently purchased it from Inter).

However it is in the last three seasons that Pandev has become a player of international repute, so much so that he has been linked with a string of top clubs including Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Chelsea in recent months.

Despite the mass interest the striker had signalled his intention to see out his contract - which expires next summer - at Lazio. However West Ham's offer is thought to have tempted the Italian's who face losing Pandev for nothing next summer.

Pandev, who has spent the last five years with Lazio is reported to have been the subject of the bid as the Hammers desperately try to boost their attacking options with the transfer window set to close a week from today.

According to a report on calciomercato.com, West Ham have offered €5million + 50% of any future transfer fee for the 26-year-old deep-lying striker in an attempt to steal Pandev from under the noses of Zenith St. Petersburg, whom he was set to join this week.