West Ham are heading into yet another transfer window in desperate need of a striker.
The club has consistently tried and failed to sign an effective striker who can not only score goals but also stay fit and suit the manager’s system.
The likes of Sebastien Haller, Javier Hernandez, Gianluca Scamacca, Lucas Perez, Albian Ajeti and Simone Zaza have come and gone over the last decade, while many before them and the move to London Stadium came and went without much of an impact.
West Ham’s comical struggles to source a goalscorer has led to wingers being converted into strikers, with Marko Arnautovic, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen all doing far better jobs up front than those who are paid to play that role.
With Graham Potter now in charge, there is hope he and his recruitment team can finally put an end to this desperate striker search and identify a forward who can help support the likes of Bowen, Crysencio Summerville and Mohammed Kudus in attack.
Niclas Fullkrug is arguably the closest West Ham have gotten to signing a quality No.9 in recent years, with his performances towards the end of last season going a long way in improving the team’s overall form. But injuries throughout the season limited him to just 20 appearances and three goals in all competitions.
So West Ham are back in the market for another trustworthy striker this summer, and it appears a very familiar name has found its way onto Potter’s radar.
Michail Antonio could spark like-for-like transfer
West Ham confirmed earlier this week that Michail Antonio was to be included on the club’s Retained List as a free transfer but that he was being treated differently to the other players set to leave at the end of this month.
Due to his car accident in December last year, Antonio is still fighting his way back to full fitness and has reportedly been offered a fresh deal at the club while the club continues to help him return to the top level of the game.
But reports claim he and his agent are unimpressed by the terms offered and believe they might be better off moving on from the club after a nine year spell, in which the Jamaica international has scored 83 goals and provided 44 assists in 323 appearances, becoming the club’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer in the process.
A deal may still be struck but in reality, regardless of where Antonio’s future lies, Potter cannot afford to go into next season having to rely upon the 35-year-old’s form and fitness.
That has led to reports that West Ham are keen on signing a striker who is very much of the same mould as Antonio this summer, and he’s name many West Ham fans will be familiar with.
West Ham to return for striker 10 years after original interest
The striker in question is none other than Switzerland international Breel Embolo.
The 28-year-old is entering the final 12 months of his contract at Monaco and it’s claimed the French giants are keen to cash in on the striker before losing him for nothing next summer.
Monaco have reportedly placed a £12m price-tag on Embolo, which certainly represents a value for money deal for a striker who has consistently scored goals at the highest level of the game, for club and country.
Embolo has scored in the Champions League, Europa League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and the Swiss Super League, as well as netting 16 times for Switzerland.
West Ham were first interested in signing the striker way back in 2015 when he was only 18-years-old and emerging as one of Europe’s brightest young strikers at FC Basel. The forward would obviously elude the Hammers, going on to appear for the likes of Schalke 04, Borussia Monchengladbach and Monaco ever since.
That hasn’t stopped West Ham regularly being linked with a move for Embolo, though, with links to him in 2021, 2022 and in January earlier this year proving fruitless, too.
It’s claimed West Ham will face competition from the likes of Besiktas and clubs in Germany for Embolo’s signature.
The striker is well known for his pace, power and finishing qualities, all of which are attributes many for associate with Antonio, which might suggest Potter and his staff are eyeing something of a like-for-like alternative should Antonio leave London Stadium this summer.
