West Ham have made a £12million offer for Viktoria Plzen striker Rafiu Durosinmi to help bolster their Premier League survival bid.
Under pressure boss Nuno Espirito Santo needs a new striker during the January window to help keep their top-flight hopes alive.
His job remains on the line ahead of a home clash against Brighton, with Slaven Bilic waiting in the wings.
West Ham sit five points adrift in the bottom three, having scored just 19 goals in 18 matches this season and are 2/5 to be relegated.
They believe Durosinmi could have the quality and goalscoring prowess to turn around their fortunes.
Who is Rafiu Durosinmi?
Durosinmi is a 22-year-old striker who currently plays for Viktoria Plzen in the Czech Republic’s top flight.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he was scouted by Karvina, who are currently fifth, one place behind Plzen.
His breakthrough season came in the 2021/22 campaign before earning a loan move to Plzen in January 2023 with an option to buy.
Durosinmi only scored one league goal during his loan spell, but the club saw his potential and activated the option to make his switch permanent.
Six goals in his first 11 league games followed before suffering serious knee ligament damage that kept him out of action for around 15 months.
The major setback also prevented a potential transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt, after they pulled out of a deal when a medical flagged further concerns about his knee.
Durosinmi has scored 13 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions this season, including two in the Europa League.
His contract expires at the end of the season, and therefore, Viktoria Plzen will need to sell in January or risk losing him for nothing in the summer.
Rafiu Durosinmi – One man show 🕺🤩 pic.twitter.com/z3zn57vcxF
— Chance Liga (@chanceliga) December 14, 2025
What are his best attributes?
Durosinmi is a towering frontman who stands at 6ft 4in. His height and physicality make him a real presence in attack, with the ability to hold up play and win aerial duels.
He’s strong and therefore is difficult to knock off the ball. The striker can also lead the line and bring the likes of Jarrod Bowen into play with his link-up ability.
Durosinmi currently averages 3.03 shots per 90 minutes, while 14 of his 41 shots have been on target.
His 65 aerial duels won put him in the top 5% of players in the Czech top flight, further highlighting his threat in the air.
Following a goal and assist against Ferencvaros in the Europa League in February, manager Miroslav Koubek spoke about his strengths and weaknesses.
He said: “Rafiu is excellent in the penalty area. He has a goal instinct; he can find the right place and get to the ball.
“However, his lack in the middle game and combination component is still visible. He is far from his top level yet. But if he scores two goals in 60 minutes of play, we will definitely not complain.”
Who has he been linked with?
Durosinmi hasn’t been short of transfer interest in recent windows, despite his ACL injury disrupting his progress.
Reporter Peter O’Rourke previously reported that four Championship clubs had previously expressed interest, while Wolves and Lazio have also been linked.
The closest he came to leaving Plzen was two years ago when Eintracht Frankfurt agreed a €10million deal for his signature.
After pulling out of a deal, a statement said: “The pictures and tests showed that €10 million in the overall package of transfer fee and bonuses would not be (fitness) appropriate.”
His manager said of the player at the end of last season: “He is a striker of extraordinary quality.
“He will help Plzen when he reaches the level he had before the injury. They were also interested in him in the Bundesliga. If I had to list his strengths that sparked that interest, there would be countless. Everyone can see how great a player he is.”
