From the talented players with injury problems like Andy Carroll, to the overpayments for players like Sebastien Haller, and the certified flops like Simone Zaza. West Ham United have failed at signing strikers for years.

The last undoubted success of a striker signing was arguably Demba Ba. Even that is debatable as he only played 12 matches for the club in 2010/11 as we got relegated, despite netting an impressive 7 goals. Michail Antonio and Marko Arnautovic were both signed as wide players and were converted into brilliant strikers by David Moyes, but Julen Lopetegui will be hoping he can break West Ham’s striker curse this summer to provide Antonio some support in attack.

The club have reportedly stepped up their efforts to sign a striker this week, so here is a look at three of the best potential targets West Ham could make a move for.

 

Youssef En-Nesyri

 

Linked to the club yet again after years of speculation, this move could have a lot more legs this transfer window as his former manager Julen Lopetegui is at the helm. The Moroccan international scored 36 goals in 115 matches under the Spaniard at Sevilla. With only a year left on his contract, he could be available for around £20m.

The role of a Julen Lopetegui striker is simply to put the ball in the back of the net. The other ten players do all the build-up, and they look to create as many chances for the striker and inside forwards as possible. En-Nesyri was perfect for this role in Andalucía.

His on-the-ball stats were and still are woeful due to playing as a poacher. The 6’5 forward’s main attribute is his heading; he is regarded as one of the best headers of a ball in European football. So, this would really benefit Coufal and Emerson who often put great crosses in from wide areas.

Despite a very poor season by Sevilla’s standards, finishing 14^th in La Liga. En-Nesyri managed to net a brilliant 20 goals and provide 3 assists in 41 matches in all competitions. Lopetegui coached the Moroccan just before he hit his prime, now 27, he is coming into the best years of his career so it could be a brilliant move for a player who should be able to adapt to the Premier League smoothly.

En-Nesyri is a proven Julen Lopetegui player so it would be almost risk-free. However, when linked previously reports suggested he wasn’t keen on a move to London after having bad experiences when on trial with Chelsea in 2015.

 

Samu Omorodion

A very unknown player to English football fans, when Atletico Madrid’s Omorodion was first linked to the Hammers many had no idea who he was. The 20-year-old Spanish striker, who is also eligible to play for Nigeria spent last season on loan at Alaves.

He scored 9 goals and provided 1 assist in 23/24 as Alaves finished mid-table in La Liga. While that might sound poor compared to En-Nesyri’s record in a team that finished lower in the table, he is only twenty years old and only four other teams scored fewer goals than Alaves last season, whose solid defence earned them a top-half finish.

Omorodion seems like a lot more of a stereotypical Lopetegui striker, standing at 6’3. His heading ability isn’t quite at the level of En-Nesyri’s but from some of the headed goals he has scored in his short career so far, it definitely could be improved upon at the Hammers. He has a lot more to his game; he likes to drop deep and get involved when he can. Unlike En-Nesyri, he can be unstoppable when dribbling due to his upper body strength and is capable of plenty of long-distance goals.

He is an ideal Lopetegui striker when it comes to his shot locations. most of his shots are made in dangerous and central spots from inside the penalty box, which reflects his great understanding of how to create separation from defenders and his outstanding timing and power to execute his runs, read the game, and his ability to understand the play. He is very mature in this despite being raw in other places due to his age. His end product isn’t the greatest yet, but with better players around him, in a more attacking team, a better quality of chances will be created, and finishing is also something that will likely improve with age.

He would also allow Julen Lopetegui to a play more direct style, he has a great size and physicality to play with his back to goal, which is very important for a team like West Ham in the Premier League. He is also impressive when it comes to ground duels, he often regains possession in attacking areas and creates occasions for himself provided by his pace and great use of his physicality to outmuscle rivals. His activity is mainly driven in advanced central areas where his off-the-ball movement, positioning, and anticipation are some of his very best attributes.

 

Jonathan David

Another player who has been linked to the Hammers for multiple transfer windows now, Jonathan David is a signing that would excite West Ham fans. The 24-year-old Canadian is a very different player from a typical Lopetegui forward.

Standing at 5’8, aerial duels are probably the weakest part of the Canada International’s game. He likes to drop deep and get involved in play, often playing in a front two just off of the main number 9. He drops into space and shows for the ball, banking on his capabilities as a receiver, meaning he wins a lot of fouls in the attacking third.

During counterattacks which will be important at West Ham under Lopetegui, David shows a willingness to attack the box with straight-line runs, and at other times he hunts for rebound opportunities while trailing the play. A trait the Spaniard loves in a striker is that they are inside the box and willing to gamble as much as possible.

David had yet another incredible season in France for Lille last time out, scoring 26 goals and providing 9 assists in 47 matches in all competitions. This meant he contributed to a goal every 103 minutes. This was better than his record in 22/23, where he contributed to 30 goals in 40 matches, meaning he contributed to a goal every 114 minutes.

This is a brilliant goal record for a player who according to Ben Jacobs, could be available for £20m this summer if the structure of the deal if beneficial to Lille. The forward is currently away with Canada at the Copa America, where he has scored 1 goal in 3 matches. This could stand in the way of a move because Lopetegui and Tim Steidten want to get players in and training with the team as soon as possible.

 

Who is the best option?

Samu Omorodion would be the best forward option for West Ham. However, the club has already reportedly had an offer worth €35m rejected for the Spanish forward a month ago. He can play as a poacher and to get involved in build-up which is key for a striker in the Premier League.

His youthfulness could be a problem for some fans, who believe a more proven and experienced striker should be signed to guarantee goals, but we know it doesn’t work like that at West Ham. Omorodion is a striker that Lopetegui can mould in the way he wants to as he is capable of so many different things.

This signing would also allow players like Michail Antonio to still get plenty of minutes, Omorodion is still young and improving so will need to be rested sometimes. Antonio is far from finished at the club despite his age, he had some very impressive matches at the end of the season, and with less reliance on him and fewer matches to play with no Europe, he could have a very bright season under Lopetegui.

The Hammers could tempt Atletico Madrid with a bid of €40m for Omorodion, which seems like a lot, however, for a player of his potential, it could prove to be a bargain.