West Ham boss David Moyes narrows striker hunt from seven to three after Michail Antonio wake-up call

West Ham boss David Moyes narrows striker hunt from seven to three after getting a Michail Antonio wake-up call in the defeat at Wolves.

West Ham have held talks with seven strikers on Moyes’s shortlist according but have struggled to convince them to join with Antonio a guaranteed starter when fit.

Moyes’s lack of striker options was an issue supporters expected would be addressed during the summer.

But the window came and went without Moyes bringing in back-up for injury-prone Antonio.

It has not done West Ham any harm thus far with the team in the Champions League spots, on the verge of the last 16 of the Europa League and one game from a Carabao Cup semi-final.

And Antonio has admitted he has not felt his hamstrings this season, putting it down to a change in lifestyle.

But the defeat at Wolves was one of the rare occasions where West Ham’s lack of striker depth was glaring.

West Ham boss David Moyes narrows striker hunt from seven to three after Michail Antonio wake-up call

Antonio had a real off day – along with the majority of his jaded teammates – and Moyes had nothing on the bench to change things up.

It was a wake-up call for Moyes ahead of the January window.

Reports have abound this weekend about West Ham going for a new forward when the window opens.

And it appears Moyes has narrowed his striker search from seven to three with Clermont’s Mohamed Bayo, Liverpool’s Divock Origi and Sparta Prague’s Adam Hlozek now the top targets.

Hammers News has previously reported on West Ham’s interest on powerful Guinea striker Bayo.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp questioned the football knowledge of his rival managers recently, revealing his bemusement that no bids were forthcoming for Origi in the summer.

Last night The Sun reported that West Ham have now made Bayo and Origi their key striker targets for just over a month’s time.

And elsewhere 90 Min have carried an exclusive that Hlozek could be the latest Czech to arrive at West Ham.

The Hammers have long been linked with Hlozek. And given new West Ham stakeholder Daniel Kretinsky owns Sparta, that transfer should be pretty straightforward.

The 90 Min report claims Hlozek could arrive on loan with an obligation to buy.

Any of those players would drastically improve West Ham’s squad.

Andriy Yarmolenko offers nothing. And Nikola Vlasic looks like he needs a season to settle in.

The problem for West Ham is that they play 13 games before January 1st.

What the Hammers must ensure is that they are ready to go with a deal for a striker as soon as the window opens on December 1st.

There is no time to waste as West Ham could achieve something truly memorable this season.

More West Ham news:

Moyes wants Kretinsky money to improve West Ham training ground.

West Ham in top four no matter what happens vs Man City and KDB out.

And like my dreams they jade and die.