West Ham are in an awkward position regarding their striker situation heading into the summer transfer window.
Graham Potter will already be acutely aware of his transfer priorities at West Ham.
He has been in the job seven weeks and will have another three months to assess things.
But make no mistake, finally getting West Ham’s striker department sorted will be at the top of his to-do list.
Danny Ings will be out of contract in the summer and will definitely be leaving the Hammers.
That will free up £125k per week on the West Ham wage bill – a crucial factor we will come back to later.
Michail Antonio turns 35 this month and is also out of contract as things stand.
West Ham stand at striker crossroads this summer
Antonio aims to feature for West Ham in May in what would be a miraculous comeback following the broken leg he sustained in a car crash in December.
It remains to be seen what the Hammers hierarchy decide to do about Antonio’s future.
Do West Ham offer him another year as reward for long service and what he has been through? Or do they finally try to move on to find their Antonio heir?
Niclas Fullkrug has proved to be as injury-prone as his record suggested when Tim Steidten elected to sign him for £26.5m last summer.
He will have missed over six months of the season so far by the time he is back from his latest lay-off with a projected April return date.
Intriguing reason Potter believes West Ham can land David
Fullkrug allegedly wanted out in January before his serious hamstring injury.
Juventus and others were in for him and Hammers News understands West Ham would have sold Fullkrug if they could have recouped their original outlay by way of a permanent deal or obligation.
The German is expected to depart this summer with the club needing to sell players to fund Potter revamping the team to his liking.
That will be another £120k off West Ham’s wage bill plus some cash in the coffers.
It would also shed nearly 100 years off the age of the Premier League’s oldest squad.
West Ham signed Evan Ferguson on a straight loan from Brighton in the winter window.
Potter is drip-feeding the 20-year-old into the side after his ankle injury issues.
There are doubts over whether the Hammers can or will do a deal for Ferguson in the summer.
But much will depend on how his loan spell goes in east London over the remaining 11 games.
Ferguson is not the only striker in Potter’s sights, though.
Barcelona favourites for West Ham target David
Shortly after his arrival at the club, Potter told the owners two players who could transform West Ham.
Those being striker Jonathan David and his Lille teammate midfielder Angel Gomes.
Both are out of contract in the summer and have confirmed they will be leaving for pastures new.
West Ham confirmed their interest in Ferguson and David in January.
They got the first of those strikers in the door – for now at least – and speculation has been mounting David is firmly in their sights as the next.
Football correspondent Graeme Bailey recently revealed West Ham face an uphill battle to sign David.
Not least because his dream club Barcelona are seriously keen too.
Despite Barca’s interest – alongside a host of other elite European clubs – speculation persists that West Ham are pushing hard to bring the Canada forward to London.
Given some of the clubs being linked with the 25-year-old and the wage demands reported, it seems like pie-in-the-sky stuff for the Hammers.
But now the intriguing reason Potter believes West Ham can actually land David has been revealed.
Potter thinks West Ham can pounce on Barca financial issues
Crucially two top West Ham sources have added further confirmation of the club’s very real interest in the soon-to-be free agent.
The Athletic’s Hammers reporter Roshane Thomas says David is among the ‘many striker options West Ham have lined up’.
In an exclusive, Give Me Sport claim Potter is pushing West Ham to beat Barcelona to the signing of David.
Previously ‘influential figures’ at West Ham had waved the white flag over their hopes of signing the striker, who has scored 172 career goals for club and country.
But Give Me Sport claims its sources have informed them that Potter and his network think West Ham can beat Barcelona.
Because the Catalan giants’ financial situation is making it increasingly uncertain they will have the funds required for David’s signing on fee and wages – even on a free.
Many West Ham fans were furious recently after it was claimed David Moyes turned down signing David for just £20m in the summer of 2023.
But the site says Potter is so convinced about the move he is ‘determined’ to see it through.
With over £300k per week set to be cleared off the Hammers’ wage bill in the striker department alone, it gives the club plenty of wiggle room in offering David a salary to compete with rival suitors.
The report says Potter wants to make two striker signings this summer.
Whether that factors in the expected arrival of Daniel Cummings for a nominal fee from Celtic remains to be seen.
Hammers News revealed recently that West Ham have made a bold promise to Cummings if he joins.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
