West Ham have been given hope of signing a “special” striker in January, with the importance of bringing in a new centre-forward further brought to the fore as manager Nuno Espirito Santo releases an update on Niklas Furkurg.
West Ham give update on Nicklas Furkrug after thigh injury
Nuno has confirmed that injury-prone Flukrug will be out for “a while” and West Ham are awaiting scan results to determine his exact recovery period, Standard Sport reported.
“Fulkrug is injured and will be out for a while,” Nuno said on DAZN Portuguese.
“We have Callum Wilson in this position and we also have a young kid (Marshall) who has already played in the last game.
“But we will have to find a solution as a team. We will have to find a solution (to Furkruk’s injury).”
After the West Ham striker was left out of the squad for Luxembourg’s match against Wales, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann announced that Furkrug had torn a muscle fascicle in his thigh and said the kicker could be out for “a few weeks”.
The 32-year-old’s injury is a huge blow for West Ham, further exacerbating the club’s ongoing striker shortage. Fullkrug, who has battled persistent fitness issues since joining the Hammers last year, is set to be sidelined for a significant period of time, leaving Nuno with very limited options.
Predictions for matches in which Nicklas Furkrug may be absent from West Ham | date |
|---|---|
Brentford (home) | October 20th |
Leeds United (away) | October 24th |
Newcastle United (home) | November 2nd |
Burnley (home) | November 8th |
With Fullkrug out, West Ham will rely primarily on Callum Marshall, a promising but inexperienced young striker, and Callum Wilson, whose own injury history has cast doubt on his ability to consistently lead the line.
This lack of attacking depth puts a lot of pressure on Nuno, and tacticians may want to play winger Jarrod Bowen up front, as the Englishman has done in the past.
Either way, the message is clear – West Ham need a new striker in January.
In preparation for the winter, the Irons have been linked with a number of interesting options, including Al Ahly’s Ivan Toney and Man United’s Josh Zirkzee.
A source reported this week that West Ham have been offered a loan deal for an unnamed forward who is “suitable”. We’re just speculating, but it’s entirely possible that it’s Real Madrid star Endrik.
The Brazilian has struggled to feature in Real’s first team due to a combination of injuries and intense competition for places, but he was reported to be open to a loan move to the London Stadium in January last year.
The idea of a temporary move to the Premier League could once again be attractive for the 19-year-old, given he has yet to play a single minute under manager Xabi Alonso this season, and journalist Dean Jones has shared a positive update on West Ham’s hopes of signing Endrick.
West Ham give Endrik transfer hope following Real Madrid update
Speaking on Team Talk, Jones reported there was “little doubt” he would be given the chance to leave in January if his game time continues to be limited, and West Ham are genuine candidates to sign Endrick on a short-term basis.
Jones said: “Endrick will probably be the target of a loan offer in January. It makes sense to me that West Ham would be one of the clubs making an offer.”
“The start of the season was difficult for the players, first because of injuries and then because of the struggles in the minutes.
“If he’s still not playing by the end of the year, there’s little doubt he’ll be given the chance to move elsewhere. A permanent move is out of the question at the moment. But a loan to get him out? I see that as possible.”
“We don’t think West Ham are in a particularly good position to take him away from the Bernabéu at the moment, but they will try.
“I reported this week how the Hammers are looking for a young striker in January. Endrick is actually younger than they expected, but he has a special level of quality, so I think they will get it.”
“They’ve been interested in him for a long time.”
The South American, who scored 21 goals in 82 first-team appearances for Palmeiras before joining Real, remains one of the most promising young Brazilians in world football despite his very young age.
Despite limited appearances in La Liga and the Champions League, Endrik actually played a key role in Real’s run to the Copa del Rey final last season, scoring five goals in the competition and scoring in almost every game until losing to Barcelona.
Endrick’s arrival would be a real statement of intent from the much-criticized West Ham board and could well be exactly the quality of player they need at the top.
