West Ham now 'trying to make decision' on new striker signing

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·27 de octubre de 2023

West Ham now 'trying to make decision' on new striker signing

Highlights

The reliance on 33-year-old striker Michail Antonio is a risk for West Ham, especially with the hectic fixture schedule in Europe.
Journalist Dean Jones believes that West Ham may need to sign a new striker to replace Antonio in the long term and provide more dynamic options up top.
West Ham's interest in strikers such as Hugo Ekitike and Youssef En-Nesyri suggests that they will be active in the market for a new striker in the upcoming January transfer window.

West Ham United striker Michail Antonio is reaching the latter stages of his career and can be a 'figure of frustration' for the fans, according to journalist Dean Jones, who has also provided an internal update to GIVEMESPORT on David Moyes' January transfer plans to potentially replace him.

The Hammers are currently relying on a 33-year-old striker, which is always going to be a huge risk. Moyes' side are also competing in Europe, so the hectic fixture schedule could take its toll on Antonio as the season goes on.

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David Moyes might need a striker

During the summer transfer window, West Ham allowed Gianluca Scamacca to depart after struggling to settle in at the London Stadium. This leaves Moyes with just Ings and Antonio to choose from in attack, with the former playing just 43 minutes in the Premier League so far this campaign, per FBref. Antonio is reaching the latter stages of his career and isn't going to be the player he once was in a few years' time.

The Jamaican international was attracting interest from other clubs during the summer transfer window. Per TEAMtalk, Wolverhampton Wanderers were one of the clubs considering making a move for the Hammers forward, but a deal failed to materialise. Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth previously told GIVEMESPORT that Moyes wasn't going to allow Antonio to depart, simply due to the lack of options he had in attack.

The capital club brought in Mohammed Kudus, who has played in a centre-forward role at times during his career. However, Moyes hasn't given him a host of opportunities since his arrival, and the Ghanaian international has had to get used to mainly substitute appearances, especially in England's top flight. It could be an area of concern for West Ham as we head towards the January transfer window.

Moyes and his recruitment team splashed the cash in the summer after receiving £105m for Declan Rice from Arsenal, so it will be interesting to see whether they continue their spending when the winter window opens for business.

Dean Jones update

Even if Moyes is happy with the contribution Antonio has made this season, the Hammers may have to plan for the long term, and signing a striker could be a huge priority. The 33-year-old isn't going to be around forever, and although his fitness levels have drastically improved over the last few years, there's no guarantee that they won't start to decline as he reaches the twilight years of his career.

Jones has suggested that some West Ham fans feel Antonio is a 'figure of frustration' and they want to see a striker who is a little more dynamic. The journalist adds that the Hammers now have to decide whether they want another player competing with him up top. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said...

"I think the position that will gain the most attention for West Ham once we get to the January window will be a striker. Michail Antonio is somebody that I know David Moyes really likes and really wants to continue to build around but I think the fans are probably finding him a bit of a figure of frustration at times and that you want somebody who is perhaps, a bit more dynamic or a bit more reliable. I'm not sure exactly what the right term is for Antonio. But when you're playing, for example, at the weekend, and you see what Ollie Watkins is doing at one end for Aston Villa, and then you look at the other end and you wonder what you're getting out of Antonio, you at least want another option competing with him. And that's what West Ham have got to decide now. They're trying to make a decision on whether they find someone in January or whether they wait it out until the summer. And that is a really big choice, because if they decide to put that off until the summer, I feel like there's a good chance that the goals start to dry up at some stage."

The Hammers are in the market for a striker

During the summer window, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook revealed to GIVEMESPORT that West Ham had a genuine interest in Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike. A move failed to come to fruition and the forward remained at the Ligue 1 club, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see them push again in January.

before the summer window closed. It's clear to see that it was a position that Moyes and his recruitment team were hoping to strengthen but failed to get a deal over the line, so there's a chance they will revisit one of these options in the next few months.