West Ham are finally set to make their first signing of the Graham Potter era as they look to move late to snatch a new forward for the ex-Chelsea boss in the final hours of the winter transfer window.
West Ham's striker crisis
Courtesy of an injury-hit first season of Premier League football, Niclas Füllkrug has not had the impact in east London that many were hoping for, and the German forward remains sidelined with a hamstring strain, leaving the Hammers just one recognised striker as things stand.
Michail Antonio is still recovering from a car crash and may not feature again this season, while Jarrod Bowen suffered a fractured foot and could be out for several more weeks still before returning to first-team action, leaving just Ings as the only senior striker for Potter to call on.
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He has done so sparingly too, with Potter preferring to use Mohammed Kudus or Lucas Paqueta through the middle since his arrival at the club. In his four games so far, Ings has appeared from the substitutes bench on each occasion despite being the only clear no.9 in the squad.
The lack of a trusted striker has impacted results, with the Hammers winning just one of their three Premier League games under Potter so far, scoring just three goals in that time. It has seen them slip down to 14th place and they now sit two points above Wolves, though there is a significant gap to Leicester City in 17th thanks to recent results at the King Power Stadium.
Chelsea (Away)
Brentford (Home)
Arsenal (Away)
Leicester City (Home)
Newcastle (Home)
Now though, the Hammers appear to finally be addressing their striker issue.
West Ham agree move for rapid forward
Now, multiple sources, including Sky Sports, have revealed that West Ham have struck an agreement to take Brighton forward Evan Ferguson on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
A Republic of Ireland international, Ferguson was in hot demand this winter, with Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton all considering moves for the forward. However, it appears that West Ham have won the race, with Sky Sports revealing that the Hammers have “agreed a deal” for a “straight loan” until the end of the season.
David Ornstein adds that a deal is agreed and a medical is already scheduled for Sunday in a bid to rapidly finalise the move to east London.
Ferguson, despite coming on as a substitute in ther 7-0 thrashing by Nottingham Forest on Saturday, has struggled for game time at the AMEX this season, managing just two Premier League starts.
Beset by injury in recent times, it was only two years ago that he was being discussed as the next big thing in the Premier League, with the 20-year-old hailed as someone who “specialises in central areas” and is “lightning quick”.
He still has almost five years left to run on his £30,000 a week deal on the south coast, which could make a permanent move expensive for the Hammers should Ferguson prove a success at the London Stadium, but in the short term he could offer a much-needed alternative option for Graham Potter to lead the line, with Potter having handed him his debut at Brighton during their time together.
Can he get him firing in Claret and Blue?