Andy Carroll could be in line for an England call-up next month after netting four goals in his last four games, but Slaven Bilic still needs to strengthen in the goalscoring department this summer.
West Ham’s strikers have combined for a total of nine goals this season; six of these coming from inform Carroll, the remaining three being shared between Diafra Sakho, Jonathan Calleri and youngster Ashley Fletcher. Enner Valencia and Simone Zaza both failed to score in the opening half of the campaign, before being shipped out in the January transfer window.
One striker linked with a summer move to East London is Chelsea starlet Dominic Solanke, a player once likened to a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic by former Vitesse Arnhem defender Ferdi Vierklau.
“He’s clinical. Sometimes, with the most impossible balls, he knows how to do something beautiful from nothing,” Vierklau said.
In that way, he is reminiscent of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He’s only 18-years-old and already doing so well.
Solanke is set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, having failed to agree terms with Chelsea on a new deal, putting potential suitors on red alert. West Ham are among a long list of clubs across Europe, including Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Newcastle United, monitoring the 19-year-old.
According to the Daily Mail, Solanke’s next club will only be expected to pay £300,000 in compensation, but it is the wantaway Blues striker’s demands that could prove to be a stumbling block to potential suitors.
Solanke is demanding £50,000-a-week wages and expects to be amongst the first-team; something that West Ham may not be prepared to offer. An incentive-laden contract rewarding Solanke for his performances could be the way forward, but whether the England under-21 international would agree to such terms is uncertain.
