West Ham could move for a "special" striker this month as manager David Moyes and his staff push for a forward signing behind-the-scenes at Rush Green.
Hammers facing real attacking shortage
An injury setback for striker Michail Antonio and concerns surrounding Jarrod Bowen have handed Moyes the real prospect of being desperately short going forward.
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The Hammers apparently want him.
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Bowen limped off during West Ham's 1-1 draw with Bristol City in the FA Cup on Sunday, and if the Englishman's injury is a serious one, Moyes will have very limited options to play with in the attacking areas. Summer signing Mohammed Kudus is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, leaving West Ham with just Said Benrahma, Danny Ings, Divin Mubama and Pablo Fornals as alternative attacking options.
West Ham technical director Tim Steidten has actively been trying to sign a striker anyway, specifically Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy, but the African's £15 million release clause has also alerted a plethora of clubs across Europe.
“As we have reported for some time, Serhou Guirassy is still a top target for the club this January,” said club insider ExWHUemployee earlier this month.
“Tim Steidten has worked on this potential deal, although I must stress there are many others keen on the player. Not only has his performances attracted other top clubs to look at the player, but the fact he’s got a £15m release clause makes the competition for his signature fierce."
Other reliable sources, like transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, have confirmed that former Spurs winger and Ajax captain Steven Bergwijn is also a top target as Moyes looks to bolster West Ham's options.
As the Hammers scour this transfer market for both a number nine and a new wide player, as has been suggested, Football Insider and journalist Pete O'Rourke have an update concerning Paris-Saint Germain forward Hugo Ekitike.
West Ham could revisit Ekitike deal
According to O'Rourke, Moyes and his West Ham staff are working tirelessly to bring in a striker behind the scenes. In terms of who they could bring in alongside Guirassy, it is believed West Ham could revisit a deal for Ekitike this month after trying and failing to sign him last summer.
The 21-year-old has scarcely featured under Luis Enrique at the Parc des Princes this term, playing just nine Ligue 1 minutes in total.
Ekitike is seen as a player of real potential and the Hammers could make a move for him in their bid to hand Moyes more firepower. In his best season to date, the Frenchman bagged 10 goals and three assists in 24 league appearances for ex-club Reims over the 2021/2022 campaign.
Their former manager, Oscar Garcia, is also on record calling Ekitike a "very special" striker with a lot of quality.
"There is something very special about him," said Garcia.
"He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player. He’s a young man with a lot of quality but also a lot to improve on, but he works hard in training."