West Ham close to signing Benfica's Raul Jimenez; possible club-record fee

West Ham United were close to signing Raul Jimenez two years ago but could get their man this time around.

Expect to witness a sea of Sombreros at the London Stadium next season. The impending addition of Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen has got West Ham United fans dancing like a Mexican jumping bean, the 29-year-old agreeing terms on a £16 million move, as reported by the BBC.

And the expectation is that the signing of ‘Chicharito’, one of the most instinctive goal poachers in the modern game, will bring an end to the club’s long search for a prolific centre-forward. However, if Portuguese publication O Jogo is to be believed, Hernandez’s international strike partner could also be arriving in London to complete a rather spicy forward line.

Hernandez is Mexico's all-time record goalscorer

The report claims that Benfica forward Raul Jimenez is close to signing for the Hammers and a deal could be done by as early as Sunday evening.

The 26-year-old is likely to leave the Lisbon giants this summer but, according to O Jogo, has rebuffed several offers from China as he values sporting interests over his personal bank balance. Therefore, a move to the Premier League will certainly appeal.

How much West Ham would have to pay, however, remains to be seen.

Benfica are known for demanding huge fees for their prized assets and reports in Record that Everton had a £39 million bid rejected earlier this monthsuggest that the Hammers may have to break their transfer record for the second time in a matter of days after the protracted signing of Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City.

Jimenez, who scored seven goals in just six league starts to help Benfica lift a fourth straight Primeira Liga title last season, is a name familiar to West Ham supporters.

Jimenez became Benfica's all-time record signing when joining for £18.6m in 2015

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Legend has it that Jimenez was due to sign for West Ham in the summer of 2015 after failing to make an impression at Atletico Madrid, only to oversleep and miss his medical, as reported by The Sun.

Let’s hope he invests in an alarm clock this time around.