West Ham United boss David Moyes is ready to launch a bid for a striker who has been dubbed the ‘new Romelu Lukaku’.
Is Eze really better than Benrahma as debate rages over West Ham playmaker
It is the worst kept secret in football that West Ham will be signing a striker in the summer.
Hammers boss David Moyes banked £20 million from the sale of Sebastien Haller in January.
And the Scot plans to prioritise signing a new forward and Jesse Lingard with his summer kitty.
Young striker linked with West Ham likened to Romelu Lukaku
West Ham have been linked with a host of strikers from Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri to Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham.
But Moyes has made it clear ever since returning to West Ham that he will be implementing his version of the Red Bull recruitment model in east London.
The West Ham boss wants to sign young, talented players – often from the Championship or lesser leagues – who are hungry to prove themselves at the top level.
It has worked well so far with West Ham’s recruitment vastly improved as they battle for a Champions League spot.
So a new report linking West Ham with 20-year-old USA striker Daryl Dike could have some real substance.
Dike interest is consistent with Moyes’s Red Bull recruitment model
Powerful Dike has been a revelation in the Championship where he has fired Barnsley into the play-offs by scoring nine goals in 17 games since signing on loan from MLS outfit Orlando.
TEAMtalk and HITC claim West Ham are one of a clutch of Premier League clubs interested in Dike, who has two caps for the USA team.
Quick and powerful, Dike has been compared to Lukaku by fans and Terriers teammate Jordan Williams.
“He’s got a rocket of a right foot, I’ve seen shots fly in the top corner a few times,” Williams told The Yorkshire Post.
“I think he’s similar to Lukaku, to be fair. Lukaku has got a rocket of a foot and Dike’s not far behind, I don’t think…
Dike has the potential to be Antonio Mark 2 for West Ham
“He’s only 20 years of age. It’s amazing.
“He’s been a massive help to the team and a big presence in the changing room.
“To say he’s 20, he’s a massive lad, he’s a unit. He runs the channels well. He holds the ball up and he’s staring to pick up on the assists and goals.”
Dike may well be labelled the new Lukaku. But to West Ham fans that description will remind them of someone a lot closer to home – Michail Antonio.
West Ham are sorely missing their injury-prone striker at the moment.
And it would be a masterstroke from Moyes to get a younger version of Antonio in this summer for continuity and much-needed depth up top.
Reports claim Dike has a £17m option for clubs to buy him this summer and he seems destined for a move to another Premier League club even if Barnsley get promoted.
Interestingly for West Ham fans, Dike has an unlikely link to the Hammers.
His cousin and Nigeria international Emmanuel Emenike played for West Ham during the Farewell Boleyn season in 2015/16, scoring twice in a 5-1 FA Cup win over Blackburn.
Man United directors make pathetic claim on fan’s forum to try and unsettle Declan Rice
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
