West Ham really wanted 'perfect' Youssef En-Nesyri after 'talks' at London Stadium

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·4 September 2023

West Ham really wanted 'perfect' Youssef En-Nesyri after 'talks' at London Stadium

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West Ham wanted to sign Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri during the summer transfer window and held talks over a move, but one Irons player has created 'less stress' about failing to sign the Moroccan international, journalist Paul Brown has explained to GIVEMESPORT.

The East London side didn't complete any business on summer deadline day, however they were linked with a number of potential strike options as the transfer window winded down.

En-Nesyri is a name that will be familiar to Hammers supporters, having been on the club's radar for quite some time. They launched a bid for the Sevilla forward all the way back in January 2021, as David Moyes sought a replacement for Ajax-bound Sebastien Haller.

The move never materialised but En-Nesyri - who takes home £46k per week at Sevilla - has unsurprisingly remained in the Hammers' thoughts. Last season he scored two goals at the World Cup as his country unexpectedly reached the semi-finals, while domestically he helped Sevilla win last season's Europa League title. He also scored against Man City in this season's European Super Cup.

As the summer transfer window drew to a close, En-Nesyri was mentioned as a potential West Ham target once again by The Daily Mail, with the Premier League side reportedly keen on adding another strike option to their squad. Now-Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca returned to Italian football after just one season at the London Stadium, and up until that point the Irons had failed to secure a direct replacement.

In the end, no such successor to Scammaca arrived, although that has hardly hindered West Ham's season with only three clubs - Man City, Tottenham and Brighton - scoring more goals than them in the Premier League.

Paul Brown update - Irons' striker search

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown revealed that West Ham were really keen on signing En-Nesyri but talks over a move to the London Stadium failed to progress. And despite being 'perfect' for the east Londoners, Michail Antonio's form at the start of the season has negated the need for them to bring another goalscorer.

He told GMS...

"They really wanted En-Nesyri but talks there didn't go very far. I think he would have been perfect for West Ham. But Michail Antonio has started the season on fire, so there was a bit less stress on bringing in another striker. That being said, I think it's interesting that there were some names still being floated about [on Deadline Day]."

Why is Youssef En Nesyri 'perfect' for West Ham?

West Ham have a difficult relationship when it comes to strikers. During the David Gold and David Sullivan era, their inability to acquire a reliable goalscorer has been well-documented, and the club's two most successful front-men in recent years - Marko Arnatuovic and Antonio - were signed as wide players before being converted into centre-forwards.

Antonio gave some insight into why last season when he controversially suggested Scammaca wasn't the right fit for Moyes, who's more interested in fight than finesse when it comes to the striker role. He said on the Filthy Fellas Youtube Channel...

"He is actually quality, he is a quality player. The problem is, he can not play the way the manager wants to play. He needs a different type of manager who will let him play with players to come off him and stuff like that. You see that, the ball comes to him, and it sticks. But with David Moyes, you have to feed off scraps, be a fighter… and he’s not that."

Regardless of whether that was a wise thing to say publicly, Antonio wasn't wrong. Scamacca's already left the club, and his unorthodox, aggressive and mobile style that's so perfect for West Ham's system has proven difficult for other strikers to replicate. Nonetheless, En-Nesyri might be one of the better candidates to come in as Antonio's successor - an issue which is becoming of increasing importance with the former Nottingham Forest star now 33 and into the final year of his contract (West Ham have a twelve-month extension option).

Like Antonio and Arnautovic, En-Neysri can operate out wide as well as centrally, and has a 6 foot 2 frame that allows him to physically challenge opposing defenders, but combines it with an impressive burst of pace. That should make him a great candidate to offer threat in the channels or behind opposition defences but also hold the ball up, in the same way Antonio does.

Will West Ham sign a striker in January?

Clearly a new striker is on the agenda at West Ham after their late interest in En Nesyri. They also made a failed attempt to sign PSG's Hugo Ekitike on loan with an obligation to buy on Deadline Day, as reported by Foot Mercato's Santi Aouna. As well as Antonio being due to turn 34 before the end the season, West Ham's second-choice striker Danny Ings is no spring chicken either at 31, so the Irons need to find a long-term option at some point in the near future.

But whether that will happen in January remains to be seen and will likely hinge on two key factors: who's available and what Antonio's fitness and form are like. It was a really disappointing season for the Jamaican international last time out with only five goals scored, but he's started the new season in great form with goals against Chelsea and Brighton.

There's an enormous workload placed on Antonio so even if he maintains form, Moyes may still feel compelled to bring in another body that can help share the burden. But it's unlikely the West Ham boss will be panicked into recruiting someone on a permanent deal if Antonio is still delivering, unless one of his long-term targets like En Nesyri became available.