So far this summer, West Ham United have signed just three players. With just weeks left until the 2025/26 Premier League campaign gets underway, Graham Potter must act swiftly to bolster his squad.
Last season, the Irons finished 14th in the top flight, having the sixth-worst attacking record in the entire division.
As such, signing another striker or two wouldn’t go amiss this summer. The question is, who would be a perfect fit for Potter and his style at the London Stadium?
West Ham’s search for a striker
At the time of writing, Niclas Füllkrug is the only senior centre-forward available to Potter after the club released Danny Ings and Michail Antonio at the end of the season.
The Irons have been linked with Harvey Elliott recently, yet he isn’t a striker, despite scoring five goals for England U21s as they won the European Championship this summer.
According to talkSPORT, meanwhile, Callum Wilson has agreed terms with West Ham ahead of a proposed move. The 33-year-old striker is available on a free transfer after being released by Newcastle at the end of last term.
Despite his advancing years, Wilson could provide a decent option for Potter over the next 12 months and potentially beyond. He must remain fit, however.
If he does, then the Englishman could be an upgrade to Fullkrug.
Why West Ham want to sign Callum Wilson
Fullkrug joined the club last summer from Borussia Dortmund after enjoying an excellent spell in the Bundesliga.
He netted 15 times for the German side throughout 2023/24, but struggled with injuries in his debut campaign at West Ham, making just 20 appearances last season.
When he was on the pitch, the striker scored only three goals, hardly worth the £27m investment that was splashed out on him.
Wilson has endured his own injury issues, but if you compare his 2023/24 campaign in the Premier League to Fullkrug’s stats from last term, the Englishman would be a significant upgrade.
|
Callum Wilson’s Newcastle statistics |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2024/25 |
22 |
1 |
0 |
|
2023/24 |
26 |
10 |
1 |
|
2022/23 |
36 |
18 |
5 |
|
2021/22 |
18 |
8 |
0 |
|
2020/21 |
28 |
12 |
5 |
|
Via Transfermarkt |
|||
Indeed, that season, Wilson scored nine league goals and grabbed an assist for the Magpies. Fullkrug scored three times and grabbed two assists for the Irons.
Wilson also averaged more total shots (1.8 vs 0.9), scored more frequently (110 minutes vs 263 minutes) and even succeeded with more dribbles (0.7 vs 0.1) comparing their respective league campaigns.
Eddie Howe once described Wilson’s importance to Newcastle as “incredible” and it now seems as though he is set to enjoy an Indian summer in London.
Should Wilson return to full fitness, he would be a massive boost to Potter and his attempts to take West Ham back into the top half of the Premier League table, having already netted 88 times in England’s top flight. Fullkrug, by contrast, scored just 56 times in Germany’s top tier.
The signing may well be a gamble, but given Wilson won’t cost a penny in transfer fees, it couldscore 12 times in 16 meetings turn out to be a shrewd one indeed.
West Ham fans will be hoping the striker can replicate the form which saw him win nine England caps and has seen him score 12 times in 16 meetings against them. That’s a certainty.
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