4 strikers West Ham should target following Niclas Fullkrug’s injury
Just when it looked like Niclas Fullkrug was getting some momentum in the West Ham jersey, the curse struck.
West Ham’s strikers simply aren’t allowed to thrive.
The Hammers’ litany of modern transfer errors meant they still relied on Michail Antonio and star right winger Jarrod Bowen as a contingency plan at the top in the 2024/25 season. The 31-year-old Fullkrug was the next man in line to get the scoring touch in the summer, but a hamstring injury means he might be able to do that will not exist for the next three months after five starts and a few goals.
With Antonio out indefinitely and Bowen missing with a broken foot, new head coach Graham Potter is out of options.
Whether West Ham Deciding on a short-term or long-term solution this month is beside the point. Potter needs a striker now. Here are four possible options in the January transfer window.
No stranger to the transfer rumor mill, Jonathan David has reached the final six months of his Lille contract and has been linked with any club in need of a striker.
West Ham certainly ticks those boxes, and the Canada international is the highest-profile candidate to potentially enter the poisoned chalice in east London.
David has been a reliable goalscorer in France for years and his numbers have skyrocketed since the 2022/23 season. The striker has scored 54 goals in his last 88 appearances in Ligue 1. A majority of David’s goals came from the penalty spot, but there’s no denying the Canadian is a skilled poacher and versatile striker.
West Ham could be the beneficiary of David’s Premiership, and the player’s contract situation means the Premier League club wouldn’t have to spend a lot of money to bring him to the London Stadium.
If Potter feels like bringing in a striker who is familiar with the Premier Leaguemaybe Evan Ferguson is the route they will take.
The new West Ham manager oversaw Ferguson’s promotion at Brighton and gave the then teenage striker his Premier League debut in February 2022. However, the Irishman’s breakthrough came under Roberto De Zerbi.
Still, Ferguson is undoubtedly a player Potter values and the striker’s profile would be ideal for this West Ham team. He is an imposing presence, capable of holding the ball up and controlling the channels, but his career at Brighton has stalled.
He has barely made an appearance since Fabian Hurzeler’s appointment, with the young German coach generally preferring Joao Pedro or Georginio Rutter at the helm in Danny Welbeck’s enforced absence. As a result, Brighton may be willing to sign Ferguson on loan this month and he would be a great short-term solution for the Irons.
Premier League clubs have had great success buying into the Championship recently, with Morgan Rogers becoming the latest League Two talent to shine in the top flight.
West Ham have ventured into lucrative markets of late, but perhaps they are better off venturing into the Championship’s humble roots this month.
Latte Lath showed his strength last season, scoring eight goals in Middlesbrough’s last six league games. This form has continued into the 2024/25 season, with the 26-year-old scoring ten goals this season, proving that his winning streak at the end of the 2023/24 season was no fluke.
His success in 2024 has seen the likes of Leeds show interest, while Atlanta United have made a bid of just under £20m. Would West Ham be willing to pay more for a Championship striker?
There have been rumors of a falling out with Sean Dyche, so Calvert-Lewin may be awaiting the return of David Moyes to reignite his Everton career.
The goalscorer has scored two goals in the Premier League this season.
At best, DCL is the perfect Potter striker. He acts as an effective attacker who is also capable of stretching defenses through runs from the back and poaching inside the penalty area.
However, the 27-year-old striker’s utopian version has barely manifested itself since Carlo Ancelotti was in town and Everton started the 2020/21 season as the division’s most entertaining team (which lasted a month).
In many ways Calvert-Lewin is very West Ham. Oddly enough, as he is injury-prone and out of form, he would be ideal to continue the Hammers’ striker curse.
