According to a report from Spanish media outlet AS, West Ham have entered the race to sign Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose.

The Hammers are desperately short in the attacking department. £45m summer signing Sebastien Haller has flopped since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Frenchman really needs more support and competition.

And Jose could be just the man for the job.

His reported release clause is £59 million (The Daily Mail).

The Guardian claims that Sociedad are demanding just £21 million for the 28-year-old Brazilian, however. And in this current climate, that must be considered as decent value for money.

Spanish publication AS claims that West Ham are ready to challenge Tottenham for Willian Jose’s signature. The east London outfit are more keen on a loan-to-buy deal rather than an up front purchase, however.

So what would the Brazilian bring to West Ham?

The 28-year-old has racked up eight goals in 20 La Liga outings for Sociedad this season.

In those 20 games, the Sociedad ace has averaged 1.9 shots and 0.4 key passes per outing (Who Scored).

He also boasts an impressive career record for the Spanish side, with 53 goals to his name in 130 appearances (Transfermarkt).

Jose stands at just under 6ft 3in tall (Wikipedia), so he is perfectly built for the robust nature of Premier League football.

The South American’s aerial ability and hold up play are two of his outstanding attributes. At the same time, however, the Sociedad fans feel that he lacks aggression (Daily Mail).

West Ham desperately need another established goalscorer though. And if they have the chance to sign the Brazilian for the reported fee of £21 million, they really should jump at the chance.