New Delhi: West Ham United have been facing a striker crisis for what seems like centuries now with club have having rotten luck when it comes to forwards. No signing has worked out for the club in that position since David Gold and David Sullivan bought the club in 2010 with over 50 forwards coming into the club during this time. Any striker that they sign either ends up getting plagued by injuries or ends up flopping at the club.
They have signed big names like Andy Carroll, Sebastian Haller, Javier Hernandez, Danny Ings and countless others but none of them worked out well for the club. The only names that have somewhat escaped the criticism and this curse were Michail Antonio and Marko Arnautović but they also do so because the rest have been so bad that they were made to look good. One of the prime examples of how bad West Ham’s strikers have been is the number of times their other attacking players have turned out to be their goal threats.
They seemed to have put behind their striking issues with the signing for German International Niclas Fullkrug in the summer but the 31-year-old has joined their list of flops as he’s struggled for fitness at the club. After just returning from a lengthy injury layoff and scoring in the defeat to Manchester City, he has now been ruled out for a number weeks with a new injury prompting the club to turn to the market once again. Here’s a look at the five players the club can target to help them push for a top half finish under new manager Graham Potter.
5) Evan Ferguson
West Ham are expected to try to sign Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, where the forward played under Graham Potter.@TimesSport pic.twitter.com/KJzWQT3sor
— Central (@WestHam_Central) January 12, 2025
Young Irish forward Evan Ferguson has been heavily linked with a move away from the Amex Stadium this January with West Ham looking like a likely option for the 21-year-old striker. Ferguson broke onto the scene a couple of years back at Brighton but injury issues have seen him fall behind the pecking order at the club. Although, the arrival of former Brighton manager Graham Potter at West Ham might see the club make a move for this promising striker.
However, the one thing going against the striker is his worrying injury record. He has missed majority of this season due to injury and West Ham wouldn’t want another injury prone forward at the club. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has said that the striker might be out for a few weeks due to an ankle injury but if that doesn’t happen, Potter’s familiarity with Ferguson and the fact that he would be a cheap option available on loan, makes him an attractive choice for the club.
4) Taiwo Awoniyi
🔴🌳 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗥: West Ham United are reportedly considering re-igniting interest in Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi. #NFFC [@ExWHUEmployee] pic.twitter.com/jNJSPLgaN0
— Forest Transfer Hub (@Nffc_Hub) January 10, 2025
West Ham have recently been linked with Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi once again and are considering reviving their interest in the player. The former Liverpool forward is a part of Nuno Santo’s high flying Nottingham side this season but has found game time hard to by given the impressive form shown by veteran striker Chris Wood. The 27-year-old has only played 218 minutes of Premier League football this season and has scored just one goal.
His form at the club has waned his since his impressive debut season at the club when he scored 11 goals for them in all competitions. The club have been linked with the Nigerian International in the past and feel that his qualities are similar to those of Michail Antonio, making him a desired target for the club. With Nuno Santo still maintaining that he needs Awoniyi at the club, this might be a tricky move to pull off for the club.
3) Emmanuel Latte Lath
🚨 West Ham are considering a January move to sign Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath to bolster their attacking options.
(Source: @DiMarzio) pic.twitter.com/daWVkggBxf
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 26, 2024
Middlesborough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath has been the name on the radar of multiple clubs in this window following an impressive first half of the season for Michael Carrick’s side. The Ivorian striker has scored 10 goals and provided two assists for the club, helping them up to fifth in the Championship, drawing interest from both West Ham United and US based MLS side, Atlanta United.
The MLS side are said to be keen on getting the striker at the club and have reportedly tabled an offer for Lath as well. He has a great goal scoring record in the Championship, prompting the MLS side to have made a league record offer for the 26-year-old forward. With West Ham strapped for cash in this window, getting Latte Lath would need the club to spend over £20 million which seems to be too much of a risk for a player that hasn’t played in the top flight before.
2) Igor Jesus
Brazilian club Botafogo want to sign Lucas Paqueta and are willing to offer Igor Jesus to West Ham as part of the deal. pic.twitter.com/EGo6P8l9CM
— Transfer News (@TransfersLlVE) December 17, 2024
Botafogo’s Brazilian striker Igor Jesus has had a brilliant 2024, leading the club to a historic double as he led his side to the 2024 Serie A and the Copa Libertadores titles in the year. The 23-year-old scored thrice on Botafogo’s way to victory in the Copa Libertadores and provided two assists in just six games for the club. While his time in the Brazilian Serie A wasn’t that great, yielding just five goals and three assists, he was an important part of the team.
Before joining the Brazilian club, he had an excellent record in the 2023/24 campaign with UAE side Shabab Al-Ahli, scoring 17 goals in just 25 games for them. His form saw him being linked to the Hammers and other clubs across the Premier League and with the 2025 Serie A season yet to start, Botafogo might be more open towards letting their star forward leave in this window rather than the summer one.
1) Jonathan David
West Ham are desperate for a CF & one that can suit a flexible front line, comfortable in possession, able to link play as well as create opportunities
It would be a coup & difficult but Jonathan David should be someone we pull out all the stops to try & pull off
🧵 [THREAD] pic.twitter.com/LfYIlOU98d
— Babbling Irons (@BabblingIrons) January 13, 2025
The one player for whom West Ham should absolutely do everything to sign him in January is Lille’s Canadian forward Jonathan David. The 24-year-old has been on fire for Lille during his time at the club and ended 2024 with the fourth most goal contributions, behind only Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. He is exactly the type of striker that Graham Potter would like at the club and West Ham should go all guns blazing for him.
It’ll be a difficult task to get him to sign for the Hammers with a host of other clubs linked with him but an ambitious project could entice the forward. His contract is up at the end of the season and West Ham could either get him in the summer on a free or offer a cut-price deal to Lille in this window to get him in January. One thing for certain is that there is no better striker in their reach that can hopefully end the club’s striking curse.
West Ham signed Germany International Niclas Fullkrug in the summer but the 31-year-old has had a torrid time with injuries in West London which has prompted the club to be on the lookout for another striker. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
