West Ham are in dire need of a striker following Niklas Furkruk’s loan move to AC Milan and have now been given the chance to sign a striker.
The 32-year-old, who made a total of 29 appearances and scored just three goals for the Hammers before joining the Rossoneri, will go down as one of the club’s worst striker signings in recent memory.
Fullkrug was signed by former technical director Tim Steiten, who hailed him as West Ham’s perfect striker, but repeated long-term injury problems ultimately spoiled his stay at the London Stadium.
The search for Furkrück’s replacement has now begun, although the German was never able to show his best in claret and blue as he was dealt a very unlucky card when it came to his fitness.
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There was a new report this morning.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo is reportedly prioritizing strikers with English football experience (former WHU employee), and in the last week alone a number of number nines have been linked with a move to east London, including Coventry City duo Haji Wright and Ellis Sims.
This, according to the ever-reliable David Ornstein, explains their interest in Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen, who had recently been approached by West Ham.
Strand Larsen is believed to be open to a move to West Ham, but Wolves’ £45m asking price is a major hurdle in negotiations.
Chelsea’s Marc Giu has also emerged as a target for West Ham this week, but given that he has already swapped clubs twice this season, the Spaniard will not be available until next summer.
However, Nuno is not completely averse to signing a striker from outside England, with Viktoria Plzen’s Rafiu Drosinmi thought to be on the shortlist if the club decide to pursue overseas options (ExWHUemployee).
Another interesting opportunity could be Roma’s Artem Dovvik, who finished the 2023/2024 season as La Liga’s top scorer as Girona briefly competed for the title.
Roma tell him to leave in January, West Ham make ‘offer’ for Artem Dovvik
Dovvik signed for Roma from Girona in the summer of 2024 after a historic season.
The 28-year-old led the Catalan club to Champions League qualification, but Dobvik’s physical presence and clinical finishing made him one of the most coveted strikers in Spanish football at the time.
However, since moving to Italy, things did not go as planned.
Dovvik has struggled for continuity and his impact has fallen well short of the expectations generated by his explosive performance in Spain.
His tenure at Roma was cut short due to a lack of trust from manager Gian Piero Gasperini, with the club’s sporting director telling Dobvik’s agent to find a new club next month.
As a result, the Ukrainian international fell out of favor with Serie A clubs, but he became available in January.
This comes from a report from Spain, which explains that West Ham have been “offered” the chance to sign Dovvik this winter.
West Ham, Everton and Sunderland have all received “detailed reports” regarding the striker in “recent days”, with the Premier League trio seriously considering a mid-season deal.
The competition for his signature means that if West Ham decide to pursue a deal seriously, they cannot afford to delay.
Roma are hoping for a quick solution so they can rebuild their squad before the deadline closes, and the Italian club is prepared to give the green light to a loan or “low-cost” transfer given the circumstances.
For Dovvik, the chance to get his season back on track with a move to the Premier League is clearly appealing. He turns 29 next year and cannot afford to waste another six months of his career on Roma’s fringes.
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He enrolled in January.
