The current top dog in the West Ham United striker search appears to be St Etienne’s [Lucas Stassin.](https://www.claretandhugh.info/cut-price-deal-available-for-hammers-target-report/) The highly rated, Belgian u21 international attacker has just been relegated from League 1 in France and has been marked down to £18 million as his cash-strapped side seek an injection of funds to deal with the relegation.
However Stassin’s head coach Erik Horneland speaking in _[maligue2.com](https://maligue2.fr/2025/06/20/asse-eirik-horneland-je-mattends-a-ce-que-lucas-stassin-soit-la-la-saison-prochaine/)_ is bullish about keeping his striker, claiming:
“_I expect Lucas Stassin to be there next season, of course. I think he will stay. I think he will stay because he is a very good player, he is 20 years old, he has a long contract with us, and we spent a lot of money to have him with us.”_
Except for a Premier League fact of life. _Stassin is paid a pittance by Premier League standards – about £11,000 a week.(Capology)._
Compare that with last season’s loanee Evan Ferguson who was on a reported £20,000 a week just to sit on the bench. So however much his manager tries to talk it down, the transfer of Stassin is very much on the agenda for his club post – relegation.
And for the player, (and his agent!) : With interest reported from West Ham, Wolves, Lille, Paris, Rennes, Marseille… is an ambitious 20 year old on the back of a 12 goal and 5 assist season going to be happy earning less than half of the wages of the least well paid at a Premier League club like West Ham?
I doubt it.