There is a large Antonio – shaped hole in West Ham’s attack for the rest of the 2024/5 season. Whilst the club might have planned to recruit in the summer when both he and Danny Ings would be out of contract, Antonio’s predicament means that the Hammers need a replacement now.
Niclas Fullkrug is working his way back from his peculiar three month calf or achilles injury and, as yet has not made a full debut. In any case the German is rumoured to be looking for an exit already.
Finding a striker who can literally hit the ground running and fill Antonio’s boots at a price West Ham can afford is a huge challenge. The bulk of the transfer budget was blown in the Summer and there’s a whole midfield to sort out as well.
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So when a fresh report today again links Brighton’s Evan Ferguson with a loan move to London Stadium in January, it has a ring of authenticity as West Ham cannot afford to buy, yet have a huge pressing need to strengthen the front line. A loan move would suit both the player and the Hammers.
Evan Ferguson – short term fix with guaranteed goals: What’s not to like
Ferguson cannot get near the Brighton starting XI at present and is in need of game time which he’d certainly be assured of by switching to Claret and Blue for the rest of the season. According to footballinsider.com:
“He’s got a very good reputation as a young player, but he’s at a stage where he needs to prove himself”.
“If he’s not going to play regularly in the Brighton team, he’s got to go somewhere where he can play first-team football and show what he can do. From what I understand, West Ham would be prepared to offer him that opportunity.”
Ferguson certainly has Antonio-like qualities, being big, burly, good holding up as a lone striker and well capable of copying the number nine’s famous ‘beast’ mode. Some reports we can rubbish straight away; Others we’d like to be true. This one certainly keeps coming back and has a ring of authenticity about it. We will find out more in a couple of weeks.