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West Ham in the market for a centre forward this January

By mac14 on January 15, 2025

The Hammers have shown an active search for a new striker this January window. This follows Graham Potter’s arrival as new coach and their impending need to turn the season around. According to multiple reports from England, the Hammers are urgently seeking a new striker due to a lack of options caused by recent injuries.

This follows renowned forward Michail Antonio’s most recent injury after fracturing his leg in a car accident in December. Niclas Füllkrug who joined the club last summer remains out for several months with a hamstring injury.

The Hammers had a significantly heavy summer spending, ranking fifth in the highest spending in European football transfers last summer. Despite their efforts, the results proved ineffective with an amounting poor display in the first half of the season. Graham Potter’s appointment following Julen Lopetegui’s departure is part of the broader plan to mitigate failure and lead the club into a brighter future. With David Sullivan back in control of the club’s signings, changes and potential upgrades of the current squad are expected before the end of the January transfer window. However, the Hammers will be wary of not making panic signings.

West Ham United are reportedly targeting Super Eagles and Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi. West Ham initially approached Forest with a loan proposal for Awoniyi but have also discussed a permanent transfer, with Forest valuing the striker at £20 million. The negotiations have since stalled with Forest citing to find a replacement for Awoniyi before making the big step of letting him go following their current form in the League.

Awoniyi has struggled to find form this season due to recurring injuries. His sole goal in 15 Premier League appearances came during Forest’s 3-0 victory over Wolves on January 6. However, the Nigerian international had an impressive 2022-2023 season, scoring 10 goals in 27 matches and playing a key role in helping Forest avoid relegation.

West Ham United have reportedly submitted an offer for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, but their bid did not meet Villa’s valuation of the youngster.

The Colombian forward has been impressive this season, scoring 12 goals across 26 appearances in all competitions and most notably “from the bench.” He achieved this in just 978 minutes of play, with only seven starts. The 21-year-old is eager to secure more playing time under Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, having already scored several key goals for the team this season. Many prospects like the Hammers are actively seeking to exploit the striker’s dissatisfaction to get a deal.

West Ham nearly bought Duran in the summer but wasn’t willing to pay above £30m for his services. The new offer he received for him has now increased and is more than the previous tagged value of the striker. Despite matching the previous valuation, Villa made it clear that their bid was ‘miles away’ from their current valuation. To allow the 21-year-old to leave the club this month, Villa would require a deal totaling more than £60m.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has rye red his final six months of his contract with Everton is on the list of possible recruitments for West Ham. The 27-year-old Englishman was valued at £35 million during the summer transfer window but the Merseyside club will willingly collect a much lesser fee should he decide to leave this winter. West Ham will be looking to exploit this advantage ahead of other English, Italian, and Saudi Arabia prospects. However, with Everton’s managerial situation uncertain following David Moyes’ return to Goodison Park, questions remain about Calvert-Lewin’s future.

West Ham will face Newcastle United and Serie A side Atalanta for his signature. Operating within a limited budget, the Hammers are focused on cost-effective transfers or loan deals. Calvert-Lewin has started 16 games for Everton this season showing a full recovery from recurring injuries in the past season. The stickers English League experience makes him an attractive target for the Hammers.

While Calvert-Lewin is a strong option, he is considered a backup to one of West Ham’s primary targets, Brighton’s Evan Ferguson. However, Ferguson’s availability remains unclear, as Brighton is reluctant to approve his transfer situation.

The Hammers have expanded their search with Lille’s Jonathan David and Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath also on their radar. Jonathan David is valued at €45 million following his impressive season at Lille. The Canadian striker has netted seventeen times in all competitions this season. 25-year-old Latte Lath is a strong transfer target for Atlanta United in the MLS. The Ivorian striker has 10 goals in 26 games at the Championship so far and is willing to move on to the next challenge.

West Ham are also considering a loan move for ex-Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi from Turkish side Galatasaray. Though this is not a priority for the West London side, they would resolve to make necessary changes to remain competitive in the League.

The 31-year-old is past his best now and hasn’t scored more than 10 goals in a top league since he scored 17 for Marseille in the 2015/16 season. During his time in England, he struggled with game time and goals proving he wasn’t much of a good fit for the Premier League. While he still struggles for game time in his current club, it’s hard to say if he is the upgrade that the Hammers most definitely need.

West Ham alongside Southampton and Brighton is actively in pursuit of non-league starlet Reuben Livesey-Austin. The 20-year-old left-back is a former Portsmouth trainee and moved into the non-league ranks when he joined Havant & Waterlooville (Level 7 of English Football) in the summer. He came through the ranks at Worthing Town, taking in a short loan stint at Bognor Regis, before joining the Hampshire-based club on a free transfer last summer. Livesey-Austin is having an outstanding season for the Hampshire outfit and a host of Premier League clubs have been flocking to watch him in recent weeks. Joining a big Premier League club this winter could give him the exposure he wishes for.

West Ham And Graham Porter Secure Much Needed Win At the London Stadium

West Ham got their first victory in three games and first in Graham Porter’s first EPL game in charge against Fulham on Wednesday night. The Hammers held strong to claim all three points in the 3-2 encounter with Fulham.

Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek, and Lucas Paqueta found the net in the 5-goal thriller to secure Graham Potter’s first Premier League win as West Ham manager, following his appointment last week to replace Julen Lopetegui.

Despite having just three training sessions and Friday’s FA Cup loss to Aston Villa to implement his ideas, Potter’s influence was evident as the Hammers displayed a more organized and cohesive performance compared to their often chaotic displays under Lopetegui.

West Ham climbed into 12th place in the League table with 26 points. However, their victory was aided by poor defending from Fulham signaling the need for the Hammers to build on their offensive build-up.

Super Eagles Alex Iwobi’s crosses bizarrely ended up in the net twice to continually reduce the deficit for Fulham, continuing their trend of allowing an average of two goals per game this season.

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