Many fans believe West Ham are cursed when it comes to signing strikers and now it’s even extending to transfer targets.
A grand total of 53 forwards have been signed by West Ham since David Sullivan’s arrival as majority owner in 2010.
Now West Ham are searching for number 54 in the January transfer window.
In the 15 years since, very few of those strikers have been a genuine success.
And those who have been seem to either get injured, fizzle out like a firework or do well and don’t stick around long.
Hammers fans are convinced the ‘West Ham striker curse’ is real.
There has certainly been a lot of supporting evidence this season.
Fans convinced the West Ham striker curse is real
Striker signing number 53 of the Sullivan era was Niclas Fullkrug.
After just three sub appearances in the Premier League, Fullkrug was ruled out for three months with an Achilles and calf injury.
In the meantime, Michail Antonio was ruled out for a year or more after breaking his leg in a car crash.
His stand-in up front was evergreen Jarrod Bowen who hardly ever misses a game. Yet he too was promptly injured with a broken foot.
Gianluca Scamacca was the last big striker signing before the desperate move for Danny Ings.
But he too was derailed by illness and a serious knee injury, lasting just one season.
West Ham striker curse strikes again
The list of those struck by the West Ham striker curse down the years is long.
Dean Ashton probably being the hardest to take of the lot.
Now the West Ham striker curse strikes again as a top transfer target suffers a freak injury close call in a new video.
The Hammers have been linked with a number of targets in the last few weeks.
After an ill-fated attempt to sign Jhon Duran again, the Irons have been linked with Taiwo Awoniyi, Andre Silva, Brian Brobbey and Rodrigo Muniz to name but a few.
Now it seems merely being linked with West Ham is enough to put players at risk!
Because Fulham star Muniz, who set tongues wagging when he was seen chatting to fellow Brazilian Lucas Paqueta and Graham Potter after West Ham’s recent win over his side, saw it first hand.
The Hammers were linked with the 23-year-old Brazilian forward ahead of that 3-2 win.
Muniz was a key player for Fulham last season, netting 10 goals.
But he’s been consigned to a bench role for much of this term and is reportedly keen to move away in search of more game time.
The inference after their post-match whispers together was that agent Paqueta told Potter Muniz wants to join.
Transfer target suffers freak injury close call in new video
Although Fulham boss Marco Silva has since given the idea short shrift.
Muniz is reportedly rated at £30m by the Cottagers.
So what happened yesterday was almost disastrous.
West Ham target Muniz suffered a nasty fall at training ahead of his side’s clash with Manchester United.
In a clip that has gone viral on social media, Muniz can be seen walking at Fulham’s Motspur Park training ground when he suddenly slips over on some astroturf.
The man in West Ham’s sights ends up crumpled in a heap on the floor after his leg goes out sideways buckling his knee in a dangerous position.
It’s the kind of fall seen during games which usually results in a serious knee injury.
Muniz gingerly walks away after getting back to his feet.
It remains to be seen whether the striker has suffered any injury as a result of the fall.
But word is he has thankfully escaped anything serious.
Hopefully Muniz is ok but the irony of his links with West Ham and the club’s fabled striker curse is hard to ignore.
West Ham may yet go back in for Muniz in the next week if moves elsewhere don’t work out.
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