West Ham have lodged a £20million bid for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele.

The 20-year-old French youth international only arrived at Parkhead in June, signing a four year contract after interest from a host of top European clubs, but has proven himself to be a top performer in the Champions League, where he scored twice against Manchester City.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has said that he does not intend to lose Dembele in January, though he acknowledges the Scottish champions will not be able to keep hold of their star striker indefinitely.

“It won't be January for Moussa,” Rodgers said. “You know at Celtic that if you get a really talented player, then the cycle at best is a couple of years, like Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk and Ki Sung-yueng.

“If they have that quality, then it's a great platform for them to demonstrate that and then they know there's a better financial situation down south.”

However a bid of £20m may well test Rodgers’ resolve and shows the esteem in which Dembele is held by West Ham, against whom the youngster made his Premier League debut in 2013. The fee would nearly match the Hammers' club record, which they paid to bring Andre Ayew from Swansea last summer.

Dembele, who was a target for Tottenham prior to his move to the Scottish Premier League, is not the only striker on the Hammers’ radar with the club having also submitted an £8m offer for Scott Hogan and a £6m move for Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe.

Standard Sport reported on Wednesday that the Hammers were eager to reunite Defoe with his former club however prising the 34-year-old striker away from relegation-threatened Sunderland may be a tough task for Slaven Bilic’s side.

West Ham's 2016/17 signings 15 show all West Ham's 2016/17 signings 1/15 Manuel Lanzini Al-Jazira - £7.4m Getty 2/15 Sofiane Feghouli Valencia - free transfer IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images 3/15 Toni Martinez Valencia - undisclosed Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images 4/15 Havard Nordtveit Borussia Monchengladbach - free transfer (Tom Dulat/Getty Images) 5/15 Domingos Quina Chelsea - free transfer (TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP/Getty Images) 6/15 Gokhan Tore Besiktas - loan Michael Regan/Getty Images 7/15 Ashley Fletcher Manchester United - free transfer (Alex Broadway/Getty Images) 8/15 Andre Ayew Swansea - £20.5m Michael Regan/Getty Images 9/15 Arthur Masuaku Olympiacos - £6.2m Michael Regan/Getty Images 10/15 Jonathan Calleri Deportivo Maldonado - loan Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images 11/15 Edimilson Fernandes Sion - £5.5m AFP/Getty Images 12/15 Simone Zaza Juventus - loan with view to permanent transfer Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images 13/15 Alvaro Arbeloa Real Madrid - free transfer Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images 14/15 Jose Fonte Southampton - £8m Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images 15/15 Robert Snodgrass Hull - £10.2m West Ham United via Getty Images 1/15 Manuel Lanzini Al-Jazira - £7.4m Getty 2/15 Sofiane Feghouli Valencia - free transfer IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images 3/15 Toni Martinez Valencia - undisclosed Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images 4/15 Havard Nordtveit Borussia Monchengladbach - free transfer (Tom Dulat/Getty Images) 5/15 Domingos Quina Chelsea - free transfer (TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP/Getty Images) 6/15 Gokhan Tore Besiktas - loan Michael Regan/Getty Images 7/15 Ashley Fletcher Manchester United - free transfer (Alex Broadway/Getty Images) 8/15 Andre Ayew Swansea - £20.5m Michael Regan/Getty Images 9/15 Arthur Masuaku Olympiacos - £6.2m Michael Regan/Getty Images 10/15 Jonathan Calleri Deportivo Maldonado - loan Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images 11/15 Edimilson Fernandes Sion - £5.5m AFP/Getty Images 12/15 Simone Zaza Juventus - loan with view to permanent transfer Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images 13/15 Alvaro Arbeloa Real Madrid - free transfer Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images 14/15 Jose Fonte Southampton - £8m Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images 15/15 Robert Snodgrass Hull - £10.2m West Ham United via Getty Images

The Hammers had hoped to bring in a top-quality striker during the summer window but failed in their pursuit of Carlos Bacca, Alexandre Lacazette, Michy Batshuayi and Jamie Vardy.

West Ham turned to Simone Zaza, paying £5m to take the Juventus forward on loan, but Bilic has confirmed that the Italian’s career at the club is “over” as the club do not want to activate a clause in the deal that would force them to sign the 25-year-old permanently.