By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
We have heard plenty over the last week or two about West Ham wanting a “Chris Wood type” – a big, physical number nine to lead the line in the Championship.
Now, according to ExWHUEmployee, we might be able to go after the real thing.
The claim is a simple one: “Nuno may try and bring Chris Wood down to the Championship with him.”
The Kiwi Knows The System
I have to say, this is one of those links that actually makes a bit of sense.
Wood was outstanding for Nuno Espírito Santo at Nottingham Forest.
He was a focal point who scored goals, occupied centre-halves and did exactly the job his manager asked of him.
The pair clearly worked, and a reunion in the Championship is not the most far-fetched idea ever floated.
Nuno knows precisely what he would be getting. There would be no settling-in period, no guesswork, no gamble on whether a player suits the system.
The Price Has To Be Right
Honestly, and regular readers may raise an eyebrow here, I wouldn’t mind this one at all.
I have spent the last fortnight arguing against signing slow, basic target men like Vipotnik and Salech.
But Wood is a different proposition.
He is a proven Premier League striker who knows this manager inside out, and if the fee is sensible, West Ham would be wise to get it done.
The key phrase, of course, is that last one: if the fee makes sense.
Not At The Expense Of Pace
That is where I have to be clear.
A Wood signing cannot come at the cost of the youthful, rapid players this club genuinely needs.
Why? Because pace is still the thing missing from this squad.
We need runners. We need legs. We need somebody who can stretch a defence and turn a tight game in a single moment.
After all, that problem does not go away simply because a familiar face arrives to lead the line.
Bring Wood in as a focal point by all means. Just not as the excuse to ignore the pace issue.