Just when West Ham fans thought they had reached rock bottom, a journalist has claimed an Everton flop could be on his way to east London.
West Ham’s hunt for a new striker is already reaching new levels of desperation it seems.
While former Hammers boss David Moyes is leading Everton into European contention, his old club West Ham are languishing in the Premier League relegation zone, effectively six points adrift of safety.
Woeful recruitment, both in terms of players and managers, has led the Hammers to the brink of the abyss.
That extends to players the Hammers turned down as well as those they signed.
Jack Grealish has been a breath of fresh air at Everton under Moyes.
Moyes to make a mockery of West Ham yet again
The playmaker has rediscovered his love for the game and something like his best form since signing for the Toffees on loan from Man City.
He could be playing his football at the London Stadium, but West Ham’s owners felt Grealish was damaged goods and someone who would not fit their system or track back enough.
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Grealish has made a mockery of that decision and the reasons behind it since joining Everton.
Many would argue Moyes himself has made a mockery of West Ham’s decision to withdraw the new contract offer which ultimately led to his departure and return to Everton.
Now the Hammers could be made to look silly at the hands of Everton once again.
Because just when West Ham fans thought it couldn’t get any worse, now an Everton misfit could sign for them.
West Ham are on the hunt for a new striker to try and save their Premier League lives.
Talks were held with Wolves over Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has also been linked with the Toffees.
But West Ham revealed Wolves want too much money for Strand Larsen following talks about a January deal.
So unless the relegation certs budge on the price, the Irons will have to look elsewhere.
That’s exactly what they have been doing it seems.
West Ham have been linked with a host of strikers with eyes on the domestic market and a number of Brazilian forwards.
West Ham could sign Everton misfit Beto claims journalist
The thinking behind signing a player already plying their trade in England is that they can hit the ground running.
But now a journalist has claimed an Everton misfit who has struggled so badly to adapt to the Premier League is West Ham’s latest target.
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Does he have a point or is he simply deluding himself?
The rumour will leave many questioning West Ham’s ambition to survive as well as raise continued concerns over the club’s recruitment strategy at a time when it matters more than perhaps ever before.
According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the Hammers want to sign Everton flop Beto in January.
The window opens in eight days as Nuno Espirito Santo embarks on what is his most winnable run of games all season – on paper at least.
So on the one hand it is understandable that Nuno wants a striker who knows the league and does not need time to settle.
But Crook claims erratic Lisbon-born striker Beto is next on West Ham’s list with moves for Coventry’s Haji Wright and Strand Larsen hitting brick walls.
Crook reports that Beto is one of the names making his way to the top of the Hammers’ shortlist despite his struggles at Everton.
Beto’s time at Everton has been mixed at best.
Despite early flashes of promise, the big forward has struggled adapting to the Premier League.
Since joining from Udinese in 2023 for around £25.8m, his goal-scoring returns have been modest.
In 76 Premier League appearances for Everton, he has scored just 12 goals, giving him an overall rate of roughly 0.16 goals per game.
Just when West Ham fans thought things couldn’t get any worse
The biggest factor in Beto’s struggles has been inconsistency in finishing and chance creation. He has historically underperformed his expected goals, meaning he scores fewer goals than the quality of chances suggests he should — a sign of poor conversion.
West Ham bemoaned the fact Strand Larsen has only scored one goal this season during talks with Wolves.
Yet now they are going after Everton misfit Beto, who has – you guessed it – one goal in the Premier League this season.
That’s not to mention a lack of shots on target and big chances missed, reflecting his struggles in front of goal.
Tactically, Beto has sometimes appeared isolated, struggling to link play or find rhythm with teammates, and his involvement in build-up has been limited, leading to frustration from Moyes.
There is the Portuguese connection between Lisbon-born Beto and Nuno, who may feel he can get the best out of the striker who has become known for some glaring misses.
There have been brief purple patches — including a run of goals under Moyes when he first arrived last January.
Now one year on it seems West Ham are looking to sign him in the hope of a similar bounce.
But the news is almost certain to leave Hammers fans completely underwhelmed at a time when the club needs a boost.
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