West Ham did not look like scoring in a month of Sundays when they lost 2-0 to Arsenal but they came away with good news about their chances of signing one of their players.
The Hammers were much more competitive and defensively sound in defeat at Arsenal, after just one week working under Nuno Espirito Santo.
That being said, the Gunners won’t have too many more comfortable afternoons in the Premier League this season than the one they had against West Ham.
The Irons were never a legitimate threat and Arsenal did not need to get out of first gear to secure a win that puts them top of the table a fifth of the way through the season.
Meanwhile, the Hammers’ single biggest problem was clear for all to see again at the Emirates as they hope Wolves fail to win in order to keep them off the bottom of the table.
Striker Niclas Fullkrug is simply nowhere near mobile, agile or pacy enough to cut it in England’s top flight.
Abysmal Fullkrug makes West Ham priority clear
The German looked like a fish out of water yet again leading the line against Arsenal, just as he was at Everton on Monday night.
Playing up front on your own in this West Ham team away at Arsenal is obviously a thankless task.
But Fullkrug was shown up by youngster Callum Marshall, who was more effective than him when coming on as a second half substitute as the Gunners cantered to an easy win.
It says a lot about what Nuno must think of Callum Wilson that Fullkrug has started both games ahead of him and he was left on the bench for the Arsenal clash.
West Ham’s decision not to sign a powerful, pacy young striker is already coming back to bite them hard.
There is no lack of irony that the Hammers could have signed Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres for just £17.5m from Coventry a couple of seasons ago.
A deal was there to be done with David Moyes watching the former Brighton player on five occasions before ultimately deciding to try Jarrod Bowen as a forward instead.
Gyokeres joins a long list of strikers West Ham could or should have signed but didn’t.
Now it will almost certainly be Nuno’s first port of call in the January transfer window.
Hammers News exclusively revealed Nuno wants Adama Traore at West Ham in January.
It has also been claimed Nuno wants another West Ham reunion with a top Premier League striker.
West Ham leave Emirates with good news about signing Arsenal star
West Ham’s toothlessness was there for all to see against Arsenal.
But a reported plan to fix that problem by raiding Mikel Arteta’s side has received a welcome shot in the arm.
West Ham didn’t get the result they wanted at the Emirates, but there’s still some good news to take away.
Despite leaving empty-handed, the Hammers have been boosted by fresh developments over a potential move for an Arsenal star — and it could turn out to be a big win in the long run.
It was revealed last month that West Ham have made ‘initial enquiries’ to Arsenal over the potential signing of striker Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazilian striker is well down the pecking order at the Emirates following the big money arrival of Gyokeres.
West Ham have been linked with Jesus on multiple occasions in the past and reportedly made a £50m bid for him when he was at Man City.
Jesus hasn’t played a competitive match since January due to an ACL injury but is due to return around December.
It has been claimed West Ham have already asked Arsenal about a January deal for Jesus.
It was reported they received encouragement from both the Gunners and the player’s camp with Jesus wanting game time to win back his Brazil place for next summer’s World Cup.
Romano gives West Ham good news on Jesus hopes
Now transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Jesus’ Arsenal future after he was linked with a move to West Ham.
And Romano has confirmed the player could ‘explore a different way’ at the turn of the year.
“Yeah, there will be some players leaving (Arsenal), of course,” Romano said on his Here We Go podcast.
“We will see if it’s going to be January or summer, but one of the players, for example, who might leave Arsenal already in the January transfer window, let’s see how he’s going to feel also on the physical point of view, is for example, Gabriel Jesus.
“Gabriel Jesus already had some possibilities to go in the summer transfer window, then there was no agreement done.
“Now, with the injury, out of the Champions League list. Let’s see if it’s going to be January or summer, might be summer, this will depend also on the opportunities, on the proposals.
“But I think Gabriel Jesus could try to explore some different way in 2026.”
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