Major update on West Ham’s pursuit of summer deal for 172-goal striker. West Ham may have signed Evan Ferguson but the club has a lot of work to do to overhaul the striker department in the summer.
There has been understandable disappointment among West Ham fans that Evan Ferguson has only arrived on a straight loan. Worse still the prospect of the Hammers signing Ferguson permanently looks bleak.
That piles the pressure on the West Ham board to back Graham Potter and Kyle Macauley in the summer window.
While David Sullivan and co have been taking flak for a lack of new arrivals in the winter window, Potter has insisted it was he who was resisting making signings for the sake of it.
Talent spotter Macauley was only just in the door from Chelsea and the shift in the profile of player being targeted was obvious instantly. The likes of Eli Junior Kroupi and Daniel Cummings were suddenly targeted along with the move for 20-year-old Ferguson.
It’s easy to see why the club are looking at young prospects. The current striker pool has a combined age approaching 100.
Major update on West Ham’s pursuit of 172-goal striker
Danny Ings has been a flop and will be leaving when his £125k per week contract is up in the summer. Michail Antonio turns 35 next month and his future in the game is uncertain after the traumatic injury he suffered in that horrific car crash.
Even if Antonio gets back playing, West Ham face a big decision on his own contract with his deal up in the summer too. Niclas Fullkrug has been a disaster and was in line to be sold in January before his latest injury.
What kind of budget West Ham will have in the summer remains unclear. But it could be largely dictated by the price fetched in the expected sale of Mohammed Kudus.
Kudus has an £85m release clause. But his performances this season make it highly unlikely anyone will pay close to that. Value will be crucial and one longstanding target in particular offers more than most.
Now there is a major update on West Ham’s pursuit of a summer deal for a 172-goal striker. Ten days after his arrival in east London Potter told the owners to bring him two players to transform West Ham.
Those players being striker Jonathan David and midfielder Angel Gomes.
West Ham have ‘plenty to offer’ coveted free agent David. Both play for Lille, both are out of contract in the summer and both have confirmed they will be leaving for pastures new.
Last month West Ham confirmed their interest in Ferguson and David. The 25-year-old New York-born Canada striker has a phenomenal goalscoring record in his career thus far.
David has been on West Ham’s radar for several years.
He has scored 141 goals in 300 club games for Gent and Lille and has 31 in 59 for Canada. David’s availability on a free in the summer means competition will be fierce for West Ham.
Given the disappointment surrounding the January window, the pressure will be on the club to make quality signings who can get West Ham back into European contention next season.
Now Hammers News has an update on the David situation from football correspondent Graeme Bailey.
David and Goliath battle for West Ham
While West Ham have several factors that could be attractive to the Lille striker, Bailey believes it will be all over for the Hammers if David’s dream club make a concrete move.
“West Ham are one of many clubs to show an interest in David and they do have a lot to offer,” Bailey told Hammers News.
“Premier League football, living in London and one of best supported teams in England.
“They have the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus if he stays, Lucas Paqueta – to a forward that is mouth-watering. “But with David, West Ham know they are fighting a battle. Almost every team is in for him in.
“Barcelona are his dream club and once they show an interest – it is going to be hard to beat them.
“However, West Ham also know that to be in with a chance, you have to make an offer.”
