David Moyes delivers Michail Antonio update but West Ham must still sign a striker

David Moyes has delivered a big Michail Antonio update but West Ham must still sign a striker in the January transfer window.

Jarrod Bowen has been carrying the goalscoring burden for West Ham this season in his new role as striker.

Especially given Michail Antonio’s woeful form before the knee injury he sustained on international duty with Jamaica in November.

West Ham did not put a timescale on that injury, which initial reports suggested could keep Antonio out for as many as three months.

Indeed some speculated he may be out for as long as nine months.

Moyes delivers big Antonio update

David Moyes insisted he would not be out too long in subsequent updates. But there has been no news from the Hammers on Antonio for several weeks.

Until now.

Moyes has delivered a big Antonio update but West Ham must still sign a striker.

With AFCON looming large, West Ham will soon lose key star and goalscorer Mohammed Kudus for as many as six games.

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Moyes may also see Said Benrahma and Maxwel Cornet selected by Algeria and Ivory Coast – although that seems unlikely at present as we explained earlier this week.

Now the Hammers boss has revealed Antonio could make a timely comeback soon after returning to training at Rush Green.

“Michail Antonio is improving (with his knee injury),” Moyes told the official website.

“He’s on the grass, he’s doing some running.

“He’s improving and getting closer.”

But regardless of Antonio’s return, it cannot be used by Moyes or West Ham as an excuse not to sign a new striker in the January transfer window.

West Ham have a serious lack of quality in depth up front beyond Bowen, who will not always be effective as the main striker.

Danny Ings needs to leave the club himself while Divin Mubama looks like he needs to go out on loan and strengthen up.

The Hammers have been linked with a plethora of forwards including Serhou Guirassy, Armando Broja, Hugo Ekitike and Akor Adams.

Antonio turns 34 in March and West Ham simply cannot use his return as the old and tired ‘like a new signing’ excuse.

All Premier League clubs have at least two proven top level strikers. Indeed most have three.

If West Ham want to compete that needs to be the January priority.