West Ham’s striker situation is well known. Mikhail Antonio, 34 and in the last year of his contract along with Danny Ings 32 will leave the club at the end of May next year when their contracts expire. Maybe one – Antonio – will be sold sooner if a buyer can be found even at a tiny fee, to get the wages of one or both off the books, Which will leave the Irons with precisely one recognised striker – and he is 32- Niclas Fullkrug and he’s injured.
All this after a hundred and forty odd million pounds spent this summer.
So the smart money is on an ‘addition’ to the squad being made in January if one of the thirty-somethings strikers can be moved on. The club are denying everything of course, and our ‘high ranking source’ confirmed in the summer that there was no money for wages unless others were moved on.
And yet the rumours keep coming: Two I reported on last week and another yesterday – Sunday – from givemesport.com suggesting: ‘Hammers could cash in on £210k a week duo in January’. ‘Could’ ? I bet they will if they CAN!
Ings won’t leave and Antonio, club legend that he is, is too long in the tooth to generate much.
But the point is not their transfer fees, it is freeing up that weekly salary to allow space for another player’s wages. Keep an eye on Nayef Aguerd’s loan, also , which is going remarkably well at Real Sociedad: If Steidten can do a deal to offload Aguerd permanently in January then, again, wages will exist to fund one of several strikers with whom we have been linked.
Whether it is Hugo Duro from Valencia, Omar Marmoush from the Bundesliga- or or even today Irons have been linked with former Newcastle striker – main pic – Ayose Perez, now 31. (No thanks): Any Spanish speaking player seems to get the media sources all hot under the collar.
The reports keep coming and January isn’t that far off now. “Dear Santa”.. Please can we have a new striker for Xmas? Under thirty and fast – would be lovely.