West Ham fans had better hope new Hugo Ekitike rumours are true as great servant Michail Antonio nears the end.
If any shred of doubt remained that West Ham should have signed a striker in the summer then it has surely evaporated this week.
West Ham’s defending of late has left a lot to be desired. But it has been their woeful performances in the final third which have – according to David Moyes himself – been the major issue following three defeats in a week.
When Michail Antonio was substituted before the hour mark he looked far from impressed.
But the West Ham striker had no real right to be too surprised after another awful display.
Fans better hope new Hugo Ekitike West Ham rumours are true as great servant Michail Antonio nears the end
Antonio has not scored since the win at Brighton back in August. Yet Moyes continues to persist with the Jamaican up front.
After the loss to Everton, Moyes admitted he is concerned by West Ham’s play in the final third and the team’s toothlessness.
But as we have pointed out on Hammers News on several occasions, the Scot only has himself to blame for failing to replace Gianluca Scamacca in the summer transfer window.
As he nears his 34th birthday Antonio remains West Ham’s first choice striker.
If West Ham have any serious designs on challenging for the European places, that cannot continue to be the case beyond the forthcoming January window.
So West Ham fans better hope new Hugo Ekitike rumours are true as great servant Antonio nears the end.
Hammers rumoured to be the unnamed club eyeing early January deal with PSG for outcast
Those rumours being that West Ham are indeed the unnamed English club who are looking to sign Ekitike as soon as the winter window opens.
As reported on Hammers News the day after the summer window closed, a report in France claimed West Ham made a last ditch bid to finally sign longstanding target Ekitike from PSG.
Technical director Tim Steidten is said to have held face-to-face talks with PSG and Ekitike’s representatives in the summer and they were impressed by what he had to say.
The deal never materialised, though, and Ekitike – who West Ham wanted to sign when he was at Reims – remained at PSG where he has seen just nine minutes of Ligue 1 action so far this season.
Last month a journalist claimed West Ham were still working on a deal to sign the striker when the winter window opens in just over two months’ time.
No time to waste as soon as the January window opens
And yesterday we reported on claims from France that PSG are desperate to offload Ekitike, the striker wants to leave for another league and an unnamed English club were already in talks over a deal.
Since then the likes of The Hard Tackle and Sport Witness – among others – have suggested West Ham are indeed highly likely to be the club in question.
Antonio’s poor performances and lack of goals in what is surely his swansong season at West Ham despite signing a new deal are reason enough for the Hammers to be looking at signing a striker like Ekitike.
But it must also be remembered the Hammers will lose four players for five or six big games to the African Nations between January and February – including Mohammed Kudus.
Taking all those factors into account, it makes a striker signing an absolute priority as soon as that window opens in just over two months.
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