Troy Parrott to West Ham could become one of the decisive moves in the Championship promotion race, with Jeff Stelling claiming the Hammers should sign both the £18million-rated striker and Jamie Vardy.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are among the leading promotion contenders, but Stelling currently has Wolves finishing above West Ham.
The talkSPORT presenter believes two major attacking additions could change his prediction.
Why Troy Parrott to West Ham could transform promotion push
Speaking to talkSPORT, Stelling said he would place West Ham ahead of Wolves if they manage to bring in both Parrott and Vardy.
Parrott remains one of the Hammers’ leading striker targets.
AZ Alkmaar rejected West Ham’s opening proposal, while the Republic of Ireland international is now valued at around £18m.
His recent record explains the attraction. Parrott has scored heavily across his last two seasons and, at 24, would give West Ham a forward capable of contributing to the promotion campaign while retaining long-term value.
Vardy presents a completely different opportunity.
The former Leicester City striker is available without a transfer fee and would bring enormous experience of English football.
West Ham have already explored the possibility of signing the veteran forward, although adding Vardy would be a short-term move rather than the longer-term investment Parrott represents.
Stelling’s argument is ultimately about depth.
Taty Castellanos scored twice against Portsmouth, but Nuno cannot afford to rely on one recognised goalscorer across a 46-game Championship campaign.
West Ham’s attacking recruitment has also suffered a setback after ReadWestHam reported on Thursday that the club pulled out of a proposed Reiss Nelson deal over concerns about the Arsenal winger’s injury record.
Sunday’s trip to Burnley will provide the first league test of the squad Nuno currently has available, with ReadWestHam also assessing the manager’s likely starting XI ahead of the opener.
Parrott and Vardy together would represent an aggressive response to the remaining gaps.
For Stelling, it could also be enough to turn West Ham from play-off contenders into one of the Championship’s strongest automatic-promotion candidates.
