West Ham could hijack Fulham’s move for £27m striker in potentially season-defining transfer gamble
West Ham have been linked with a transfer bid for a talented striker with 11 goals this season - but Fulham are already interested.
When it comes to great escapes, it’s fair to say strikers often make the difference for West Ham. In 2007, Carlos Tevez was the man that saved them by exploding into life with seven goals in nine matches after failing to score in the previous 28 games, while in 2020 it was the heroics of Michail Antonio that ensured the club would beat the drop.
Goals have been a problem for West Ham all season, and in a bid to rectify that the club have signed both Taty Castellanos from Lazio and Pablo from Gil Vicente in Portugal, while they’ve also persuaded Callum Wilson to stay after speculation that the club were considering mutually terminating his contract.
Niclas Füllkrug, who never got anywhere near the standards he hit in Germany, departed to make space for this overhaul, but could one more striker still be on the way as part of West Ham’s frantic scramble to survive in the Premier League?
West Ham move to hijack Fulham talks
West Ham have emerged as contenders to sign Fulham-linked striker Ricardo Pepi from PSV this month, according to reports.
Pepi has an impressive record of 11 goals in 22 matches this season, including three in the Champions League. He’s scored in all of his last five league matches and has been a standout performer for a PSV team chasing a third consecutive league title as well as a place in the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition.
The 23-year-old USA international has been linked with Fulham throughout the window, with Spanish outlet AS state linking Marco Silva’s side with the football club, with the team willing to pay £27m for the forward. However, the same outlet now suggests West Ham could get involved as well with an offer of their own - despite the fact that the American is set for a spell on the sidelines after breaking his arm.
Where would Ricardo Pepi fit in at West Ham?
Pepi is not a new target for the Hammers. Last summer, West Ham reportedly offered £21m (€25m) for the forward, but PSV turned that proposal down. The forward has been admired by West Ham since his move to the Eredevisie, but it’s worth noting that he’s also had fabulous success in his homeland.
For example, in the MLS with FC Dallas he was named as the Young Player of the Season while also making the All Star XI for 2021. Overall, he scored 16 in 59 appearances before an underwhelming season with Augsburg in 2021/22 when he failed to score. Pepi also managed 13 goals in 31 games for Groningen during a loan spell the following season and since then has led the line for PSV with great success, winning two league titles and reaching the round-of-16 in the Champions League on two occasions.
He’s got a record 13 goals in 34 games for the USA and is expected to lead the line on home soil in the upcoming World Cup. His credentials suggest he could freshen up West Ham’s attacking options, although it’s likely to unsettle at least one of the existing forwards at the London Stadium if he does choose them over Fulham.
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