West Ham eye switch for Everton Jelavic

West Ham are seriously considering the possibility of signing Everton forward Nikica Jelavic, whom they tried to lure from Rangers earlier on.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce sees the Croatia international to be a perfect replacement to a towering forward Andy Carroll who is on a season-long loan at Boleyn Ground. West Ham have an option of making Carroll’s deal permanent, but they have already announced that the asking price of 17 million is too high for them.

Allardyce is a big fan of Jelavic, who has scored 11 goals in his 16 appearances at the Goodison Park, but was less impressive in his second season, managing just a goal in 18 first-team starts. It is believed the player is slightly disappointed with losing his status of first-choice player and could be considering his options. West Ham believe the player will be available in a cut-price deal.