Just when it looked like Niclas Fullkrug was gaining momentum in a West Ham shirt, the curse struck.
West Ham’s attackers are simply not allowed to thrive.
The Hammers’ litany of transfer failures meant they were still relying on Michail Antonio for 2024/25 with star right winger Jarrod Bowen as a contingency plan up top. Fullkrug, 31, was the next man identified to provide goal relief this summer, but a hamstring injury means he potentially won’t be around for the next three months after five starts and a few goals.
With Antonio out indefinitely and Bowen out with a broken foot, new head coach Graham Potter is out of options.
Whether West Ham opt for a short-term or long-term solution this month is beside the point. Potter needs a striker now. Here are four potential options in the January transfer window.
Having entered the final six months of his contract at Lille, Jonathan David, who is no stranger to transfer rumours, is going to be linked with any club in need of a striker.
West Ham certainly fit that bill, and the Canadian international is the leading candidate to potentially enter the poisoned chalice of east London.
David has been a reliable goalscorer for years in France, with numbers skyrocketing since the 2022/23 campaign. The striker has scored 54 times in his previous 88 Ligue 1 outings. A large proportion of David’s strikes have come from the penalty spot, but there is no denying the Canadian’s ability as a clinical poacher and multi-faceted striker .
West Ham could be the beneficiary of David’s upside, and the player’s contract situation means the Premier League club would not have to spend big money to bring him to the London Stadium.
If Potter are keen to acquire a striker familiar with the Premier League, Evan Ferguson may be the route they take.
The new West Ham boss oversaw Ferguson’s emergence at Brighton, handing the then-teenage striker his Premier League debut in February 2022. The Irishman’s escape, however, came under the management of Roberto De Zerbi.
Yet Ferguson is undoubtedly a player Potter likes and the striker’s profile would be ideal for this West Ham side. He is an imposing presence, capable of holding up the ball and running the channels, but his career at Brighton has stalled.
He has barely visited since the appointment of Fabian Hurzeler, with the young German coach generally preferring Joao Pedro or Georginio Rutter to lead the squad in the enforced absence of Danny Welbeck. As a result, Brighton could be willing to let Ferguson go on loan this month, and he would be a great short-term solution for the Irons.
Premier League clubs have enjoyed plenty of success in the Championship in recent times, with Morgan Rogers the latest talent from the second tier to shine in the top flight.
West Ham have delved into lucrative markets of late, but perhaps they will be better served by venturing into the Championship’s humble roots this month.
Latte Lath came into his own last season and has scored eight times in Middlesbrough’s last six league matches. This form has continued into 2024/25, with the 26-year-old scoring ten times this season, proving his streak of success to conclude 2023/24 was no fluke.
His skills in 2024 have attracted interest from Leeds, while Atlanta United have submitted a bid of just under £20m. Would West Ham be willing to pay more for a Championship striker?
There have been rumors of a falling out with Sean Dyche, so Calvert-Lewin could see the return of David Moyes to revive his Everton career.
The striker has scored twice in the Premier League this season.
At his best, DCL is the perfect Potter striker. He functions as an effective focal point who is also capable of stretching defenses with runs in behind and poaching inside the box.
However, the 27-year-old striker’s utopian iteration has barely manifested since Carlo Ancelotti was in town and Everton began the 2020/21 season as the most entertaining team in the division (which has lasted a month).
In many ways, Calvert-Lewin is very West Ham. Injury-prone and out of shape, he would be strangely ideal to continue the Hammers’ striker curse.
