Every summer, West Ham are linked to a striker in Europe. The fan base gets excited, and the player’s price tag rises rapidly as soon as we are linked. Much has already been written about Gianluca Scamacca and Sebastien Haller, but what about the players we never managed to sign, much to the disappointment of the fans?
In 2019, the Uruguayan international Maxi Gomez was linked to West Ham. He had a successful season with Celta Vigo, having scored 30 goals in 71 appearances. The player wasn’t keen on a move to the Hammers and opted for Valencia, where he failed to replicate his form, scoring 22 goals in 96 appearances. The Spanish club clearly rated the player, as they put in place a €140m release clause. A move to Trabzonspor followed, and he departed for a fee of €3m, scoring 5 goals in 27 appearances! A return move to Spain via a loan to Cadiz last season yielded no goals in 31 appearances!
Taxi for Maxi? Gomez turned out to be a dodged bullet.
Who remembers Mohamed Bayo, who was scoring goals for fun at Clermont FC in France? The 6ft 2in Guinea international moved to Lille in 2022 on a five-year contract instead of West Ham and spent last season on loan at Le Havre, netting 5 goals in 22 appearances!
Oh Dia
Lastly, Boulaye Dia was continually linked to West Ham—24 goals for Reims was a good return in Ligue 1. Yet, Villarreal beat us to his signature in a transfer deal worth €12m and he repaid the Spanish side with only five goals. A loan to Salernitana followed, where he rediscovered his goal touch, registering 16 goals, and the links to West Ham began again. The Italian side duly signed the player, hoping to sell on at a higher fee, yet this never happened, and the player scored a mediocre 4 goals in 17 appearances!
I think history tells us that the search for a striker is an unenviable task, and the club needs to get it right this time around. Whether Jhon Duran is the answer remains to be seen. £40m for a Villa reserve seems like a lot of money!
We need Duran or Toney or David up front as a target man who’s mobile. We also need be Elhi wahyl who we tried to sign last window.Hes got pace and is clinical infront of goal so could play anywhere across the front line.COYI
I always worry when we are linked with a striker scoring goals for fun in inferior leagues on the continent Caleri anyone! my point being if as is always said that the Prem league is the toughest on the planet then unless you are paying top dollar good strikers are hard to find….if Haller or Scamacca were signed today i have little doubt in there ability to come good with a better manager as both had something about them but the manager of the day did not.
Was going to comment, but don’t you just love these new website advertising cat houses that flash the screen up or down as your reading or trying to add a comment.
Earn honestly !!
Get an Ad blocker mate stops all that nonsense
Jhon Duran seems wildly overpriced so hopefully a non-starter. Buying mediocre strikers from Europe seems like madness as well. Short of opening the cheque book much wider, I’d much rather see us spend the money on a Championship player who knows where the back of the net is. I remember us being constantly linked with Ollie Watkins when he was at Brentford in the Championship. Of course we messed about as usual and missed the boat. Whatever happened to him I wonder! Am I missing something or would a punt on Sammie Szmodics (lifelong Irons fan) not make real good sense. Maybe Tim doesn’t watch the Championship?
Totally agree, I really hope it’s just smoke and mirrors whilst we sign another striker at a sensible price.
I’m of the same belief that there’s great value in the Championship and other lower leagues too.