West Ham and Chelsea may be competing at very different levels this season but both are in need of the same thing.
It was a sliding doors moment for West Ham and London rivals Chelsea when Lucas Paqueta was charged with spot-fixing.
The Hammers had agreed a deal to sign Cole Palmer which would see Paqueta join Man City and receive £45m on top.
It seems unfathomable now but that was the case as West Ham vice-chair Karren Brady and David Moyes have since confirmed.
The deal collapsed and Chelsea swooped to bag Palmer instead.
The ice cold star has been almost single-handedly responsible for Chelsea’s remarkable return to prominence since.
Led by former West Ham assistant boss Enzo Maresca, Chelsea are on the rise – mounting a surprise title challenge this season.
The Hammers meanwhile have completely underwhelmed, falling way below expectations since Julen Lopetegui’s arrival.
A lucky win over Southampton has kept the Spaniard in the West Ham hotseat for now.
But there are big issues that need to be addressed in a Hammers side that simply is not firing.
Ironically, despite their wildly contrasting campaigns so far, both West Ham and Chelsea are missing the same key ingredient in the minds of most observers – a top striker.
West Ham and Chelsea both need a top striker
Nicolas Jackson continues to divide opinion while Christopher Nkunku is being linked with a move away.
Beyond that Chelsea simply do not have the striker options befitting title challengers.
West Ham look to have made a poor decision to sign former Chelsea target Niclas Fullkrug in the summer.
The Irons needed a young, dynamic, powerful and pacy forward.
Instead they signed the injury-prone 31-year-old and he duly spent three months on the sidelines just a few weeks into the season.
West Ham are looking to sign at least two strikers in the coming windows. Especially after Michail Antonio’s horrific car crash.
A host of forwards have been linked with moves to the London Stadium and Stamford Bridge.
West Ham recently opened up about their striker transfer plans.
Now David Sullivan’s sons will hate what Chelsea boss has just said about dream West Ham target.
A number of forwards were discussed in that Hammers News exclusive, when the prospect of Liam Delap was raised.
The powerful England Under 21 star has been an absolute revelation with Ipswich in the Premier League.
Sullivan’s sons will hate what Chelsea boss has just said about dream West Ham target Delap
Delap has been impressing everyone with his powerful, all action displays.
The 21-year-old has six goals so far for the Tractor Boys but it is his all-round game which has underlined his reputation as a top young talent.
Delap is exactly the kind of striker the Hammers should be in for.
When his name came up, it was put to the key senior London Stadium contact that there wouldn’t be many bigger clubs than West Ham who would be in for him where he would be a guaranteed starter.
A West Ham spokesman told Hammers News they didn’t believe it was a deal that could be done until the summer.
But they did reveal that Dave and Jack Sullivan, the sons of majority owner David, won’t stop raving about Delap to their dad.
There could be some bad news for West Ham, though.
Because Chelsea boss Maresca has raved about Delap, who he worked with during his time at Man City.
And with the Blues said to be after a striker in the coming windows too, that’s bad news for West Ham.
Maresca raving about Delap is ominous for Hammers
“Liam is a fantastic player, we spent one year together,” Maresca said ahead of Chelsea’s game at Ipswich.
“I think he scored 22 or 24 goals. This is a very good striker – works hard off the ball, on the ball, he understands the game and he can score goals.
“Because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England.”
While Maresca’s comments only endorse what Sullivan’s sons have been telling their dad about Delap, they don’t bode well.
Even if Chelsea stick with Jackson, almost everyone believes the Blues are missing a top striker as the missing piece in their jigsaw.
The biggest problem for West Ham if Chelsea did move for Delap is the fact he could actually be a regular starter under Maresca.
West Ham may just have to accelerate any plans they might have to bid for Delap to try and tempt Ipswich to sell.
Because if they wait until the summer then Chelsea could muscle in with Champions League football on offer too.
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