How refreshing to get back to ‘transfer window’ news! Just a couple of months since the last one ended with a flurry of incomings and outgoings – before you know it there’s another one just nine weeks away. Lucky for West Ham, who’s striker recruitment has been as successful as one of James Ward Prowse’s free kicks of late.
To shore up the front line whilst Niclas Fullkrug heals and the remaining two – Antonio and Ings- see out their last six months with the club has become THE priority for West Ham’s player recruitment.
Amongst the names being linked with a move to London Stadium is a relative ‘newcomer’ to the rumour mill. Panathinaikos star Fotis Ioannidis is the latest in a series of frontmen apparently being scouted and ‘monitored’ before a possible January bid, according to sportsview.co.uk.
Fitting – hurrah – the age profile we have all been shouting for – (i.e. under thirty) – Ioannidis is just 24 and came to West Ham’s attention last summer having scored 23 goals in 44 games in Greece. Currently valued at €18 million the 1.87 metre Greek would certainly be a welcome addition to West Ham’s squad.
Another one to watch come January: What is beyond doubt is that West Ham are out scouting several names which appear – regularly in media reports, meaning at last that the message seems to have got through that we cannot carry on with a trio of thirty something ‘strikers’ who have their own age, mobility, fitness and form issues.