The £40m goal-machine striker signing who could turn West Ham season around if January deal is struck
West Ham are deep in relegation trouble and need a dramatic turnaround in the coming weeks
West Ham’s alarming start to the new campaign continued in Nuno Espirito Santo’s first home game in charge as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to relegation rivals Brentford at the London Stadium.
The build-up to the match was largely overshadowed by fans protests, with many refusing to attend the game to express their discontent with chairman Dave Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady.
Those in attendance opted to boo the depleted West Ham team at both half time and full time, as the players on the pitch produced a lacklustre performance, devoid of ideas and creativity, with an overall XG of just 0.33.
West Ham are yet to win under Nuno in three matches but based on his track record at Nottingham Forest, he has the credentials to turn things around. The major concern at present is the team’s lack of goals. They’ve managed just six in eight matches all season, with three of those coming in their only win over Nottingham Forest and they’ve notably got the worst defensive record of any side in the entire league.
West Ham desperately need to sign a striker
West Ham forwards Callum Wilson and Niclas Fullkrug have only managed one goal between them in the Premier League this season.
Wilson’s goal, a fine strike against Forest from the bench, was his first in the Premier League since the final day of the 2023/24 season. He failed to find the net once in 18 league appearances during his final season at St. James’ Park and struggled with persistent hamstring issues.
Fullkrug has played more minutes than Wilson since the start of the season, but is still yet to produce anything resembling a run of form since joining the club. The former Champions League finalist managed three in 18 last season after making the £27m move and has struggled to make an impact whenever he’s been on the field.
As it stands, the ever-reliable Jarrod Bowen is unsurprisingly the top scorer. The England international winger has three in eight matches, and has previously scored 29 in the two previous seasons. However, it seems the Hammers are almost solely reliant on giving the ball to Bowen on the flank and hoping he produces. It makes it a very simple message for opposition managers at present: stop Bowen - stop West Ham.
The £40m striker signing that could save West Ham’s season
According to Alan Nixon (via Hammers News), West Ham have set their sights on signing former Newcastle United and Brentford frontman Ivan Toney.
The 29-year-old is currently playing his football in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli after completing a £40m move in the summer of 2024. Toney scored 72 times in 141 appearances for Brentford, including 31 in the Championship and 32 in the club’s first two seasons in the top-flight. His final season with the club was disrupted by a betting-related suspension which limited him to just 17 outings and four goals. But he’s since scored regularly in Saudi, with 39 in 56 matches across all competitions.
Toney was a member of the England squad which reached the final of Euro 2024. He scored one of the decisive penalties against Switzerland and often made an impact from the bench with his physicality. However, he’s struggled for regular action under Thomas Tuchel and knows he’ll likely need to play in Europe to get himself back into contention for the upcoming World Cup.
It’s reported the 29-year-old is interested in a possible loan move back to the Premier League in the second half of the campaign, and West Ham are thought to be watching the situation closely.
Realistically, West Ham may need to splash the cash to get Toney to come to the London Stadium as Al-Ahli might not be open to loaning out one of their best players when he’s only under contract until 2028. However, Toney’s qualities and West Ham's dire situation, make him a necessity at this moment in time. Both Wilson and Fullkrug have been out of form for more than 18 months now, and a potential injury to Bowen would leave West Ham with limited hopes of scoring goals and getting out of trouble.
Nuno’s team typically play their best stuff when they have a big focal point leading the line. Chris Wood was a prime example at Forest, scoring 20 league goals last term. While at Wolves, Raul Jimenez, who scored 17 in the 2019/20 campaign for the Old Gold was another notable one.