Probably the best signing West Ham have ever made in the January window, Jarrod Bowen was David Moyes’ finest capture from Championship side Hull City in 2020. For a paltry £22 million. Whilst he took a while to get going, West Ham’s skipper is now closing in on the Hammers’ all time Premier League goal scoring record in just five years and has been an ever-present in the side and first name on the team sheet through four different head coaches.
A Championship player who made it good in the top tier.
And come January, West Ham will likely be looking for another ‘miracle buy’ along with half a dozen other Premier League sides.
Prophetically, back in the summer, goal.com signposted the way ahead for the player described as “potentially the hottest striker in England’s top four divisions” – Norwich City’s Josh Sargent.
The subject of a last-minute collapsed deal to the Bundesliga in the summer – Norwich put their asking price up at the last minute- Sargent will be perfect for a side desperate to cling to Premier League survival and willing to get the cheque book out.
Norwich City’s striker hit 15 goals last season, and 5 more since August
As goal.co.uk put it just before the 1st September window closure:
They [Norwich] might find it harder to keep him in January than they are in the present moment… Around the league, he is widely regarded as the best of his type in the division.
“There is the panic element that comes in [and a team in the Premier League] comes in and they need to go and try and get the best No. 9 outside of the Premier League in this country. Which he is.”
West Ham could very well be that ‘desperate team’ come January, willing to spend big on a proven front man with no ‘settling in the UK ‘ issues.
Can Sargent make it big in the top tier? Hammers fans would hope the USMNT forward, 25, could repeat Dean Ashton’s successful step-up from Norwich in January 2006. Could be thirty million quid well spent: Just nobody mention Jordan Hugill.
if you are looking for a US striker Balogun is the guy
We signed Demba Ba and Bobby Zamora in January window. Both turned out pretty decent strikers. Jarrod is best January signing since plus Souchek of course but when it comes to strikers probably very hard to sign in January.
I’ve mentioned this player to fellow West Ham fans for past couple of years and been laughed at as the reply to me was always “we do not need another Hugil”……..but this man scores goals…is he quick well he is not slow but he is a striker knows how to finish and make runs that come naturally to a player in that position and not to others square pegged into the role….so if we bid for him i hope it is successful and whilst he is no Dean Ashton he is a player provided with the service will score goals
Ivan Toney came from Northampton to Newcastle, Callum Wilson via Coventry and then non PL Bournemouth – i did not know all this, looked it up.
I hope we do look more in the lower divisions – do we have the required scouting network? Probably not, or maybe it’s our egos that are massive. I don’t think you would find the great Dean Ashton playing for FC Paris or Bologna and if anyone had problems adapting it would have been the opposition not him.😊
Sorry he is just not very good and did very little when he was previously in the Prem with Norwich. There must be better strikers elsewhere in other divisions or in Europe. Look at Brentford and Bournemouth, both have picked up decent strikers for very little.