James Olley of the Evening Standard is reporting that West Ham are trying to replace the injured Enner Valencia with one of ‘a dozen strikers’ before the window closes in three weeks and have identified strikers from Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as looking abroad to Brazil, Portugal and Italy.
Topping that list is reportedly Emmanuel Adebayor, who has struggled at Spurs lately due to his lack of compatibility with Mauricio Pochettino’s high pressing game.
Another man under consideration is Javier Hernandez of Manchester United, who doesn’t seem to fit Louis Van Gaal’s famed ‘philosophy’. The Mexican spent most of last season on loan at Real Madrid and he notched seven goals in 23 games. He is a clinical goalscorer and could form a truly formidable partnership with Diafra Sakho if he joined the club.
Former AC Milan star Alexandre Pato has been strongly linked by many media outlets. The Brazilian has struggled with injuries and this arguably interfered with his rise to stardom so he has ended up back in the Brazilian League. 18 goals in 35 games last season suggests that he still has his goalscoring nous, injuries, however, are still a worry, but it could be an inspired signing for the Hammers.
The Portuguese league has proved to be a goldmine for cheap players, and Islam Slimani of Sporting CP could be the latest gem to arise from that country. The Algerian hitman has scored 25 goals in 63 games for Jorge Jesus’ side, so there is a real possibility that he could replicate that form in the Barclays Premier League.
Fenerbahce’s Senegalese international striker Moussa Sow is another who has been linked in recent weeks. The 29-year old can also play on the wing and he would give Slaven Bilic some real tactical flexibility. His age could be a concern, but if a short-term replacement is what is needed then it would make more sense to sign an older player on a shorter deal.
Former Manchester City star Alvaro Negredo has also been linked by various news outlets after an unsuccessful spell at Valencia which was plagued by injuries. The EURO 2012 Champion is still a good goalscorer and he was one of City’s best players during his one-year spell at the club. His link up play is also a huge bonus.
German Denis, the target man currently of Atalanta is another striker who would add real quality to the team. He was linked just over a fortnight ago and it is highly likely he would be on the shortlist that is being reported. The 33-year old has bagged 32 goals in 101 league games for his club and has won a handful of caps for Argentina. He isn’t a clinical goalscorer, but he is a very serviceable target man who should still have something left in his locker.
Another option could be closer to home in the form of Queens Park Rangers poacher Charlie Austin who is unlikely to remain at the Championship club. The former Swindon Town man impressed in the Premier League and earned a call-up to the England squad in February. He is a player that excites many Hammers fans on social media.
Liverpool’s big money flop Fabio Borini is another option for Slaven Bilic as he aims to improve his forward line. The Italian had a successful spell at Sunderland in 2013-2014, but he has since struggled to break into the Liverpool team and has reportedly been training with the reserves. He could be a good option for West Ham as he has a major point to prove to a lot of his doubters.
Another Italian striker is Roma forward Mattia Destro, who doesn’t appear to be in the plans of manager Rudi Garcia as they decided to splash out on Edin Dzeko recently. Destro is arguably the most talented forward that has been linked with the club as he possesses a lot of pace and superb finishing ability. He also has the ability to score fantastic goals as shown by his short spell at AC Milan.
Another Premier League winner could be coming to Upton park in the form of Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov. The former Fulham man was released by Monaco as he didn’t fit into their new transfer policy, he is however still a clinical scorer and he does it in big games as shown by his goal at the Emirates Stadium last year in the Champions League.
The final man linked is Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic, who has no intention of remaining at Hull because of their relegation to the Championship. The target man has worked with Slaven Bilic before when he managed Croatia so this signing could be a no-brainer in that sense. Jelavic struggled for goals last year but in a team that creates more chances he could be clinical once again.
