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Just when it looked like Nicklas Fulkrug was gaining some momentum in a West Ham shirt, the curse struck.
West Ham strikers are not allowed to simply prosper.
The Hammers’ litany of modern-day transfer failures means they still rely on Micheal Antonio going up top in 2024/25 with star right-winger Jarrod Bowen as a contingency plan. Fulcrug, 31, was the next man identified to provide goalscoring relief in the summer, but a hamstring injury means he is likely Won’t be around for the next three months Five starts and a couple of goals later.
With Antonio out indefinitely and Bowen out with a broken leg, new head coach Graham Potter is bereft of options.
what West Ham Opting for a short- or long-term fix is beside the point this month. Potter needs a striker now. Here are four possible options in the January transfer window.
After entering the final six months of his Lille contract, Jonathan David, no stranger to the transfer rumor mill, will join any striker-needy club.
West Ham certainly fit that bill, and the Canadian international is a high-profile candidate to step into the potentially toxic mess in east London.
David has been a reliable goalscorer in France for years, with his tally skyrocketing from the 2022/23 campaign. The striker had scored 54 times in his previous 88 Ligue 1 outings. Part of David’s strikes have come from the penalty spot, but there’s no denying the Canadian’s ability as a clinical poacher and versatile forward.
West Ham could be David’s main beneficiary, and the player’s contract status means the Premier League club will not have to use top dollar to bring him to the London Stadium.
Acquaintance with Potter further acquired fancy Premier LeaguePerhaps Ivan Ferguson is the route they will go down.
The new West Ham boss oversaw Ferguson’s emergence at Brighton, handing the then-teenage striker his Premier League debut in February 2022. However, the Irishman’s breakout came under Roberto de Zerbi.
However, Ferguson is undoubtedly a player who admires Potter and the forward’s profile would be ideal for this West Ham squad. He is an imposing presence capable of holding up the ball and running the channels, but his Brighton career has stalled.
Since the appointment of Fabian Herzeler, he has rarely been seen, with the young German coach usually opting for Joao Pedro or Georginio Rutter to be up top in Danny Welbeck’s absence. As a result, Brighton Ferguson could be willing to let him go on loan this month, and would be a good short-term fix for the Irons.
Premier League clubs have had great success buying in the Championship of late, with Morgan Rodgers the latest second-tier talent to shine in the top flight.
West Ham have dipped their toes into lucrative markets of late, but perhaps they would be better served venturing into the Championship’s humble roots this month.
Latte Lath came into his own last season and scored eight times in Middlesbrough’s final six league games. That form has continued into 2024/25 and the 26-year-old has scored ten times this term, proving his hot-streak to end 2023/24 was no fluke.
His prowess in 2024 has seen the likes of Leeds interested, while Atlanta United submitted a bid just shy of £20m. Would West Ham be willing to pay more than that for the Championship forward?
With Sean Dyche rumored to be on his way out, Calvert-Lewin could look to the return of David Moyes to revive his Everton career.
The target-man has scored twice in the Premier League this season.
At his best, DCL is the perfect Potter forward. He acts as an effective focal point who is also able to stretch defenses with runs behind and poaching inside the box.
However, with Carlo Ancelotti in town and Everton starting the 2020/21 season as the division’s most entertaining team (which lasted for a month), the 27-year-old striker’s utopian iteration has rarely manifested itself.
In many ways, Calvert-Lewin is very West Ham. Injured and out of sorts, he would be oddly ideal to continue the Hammers’ striker curse.
