Potter needs a striker this summerplaceholder image
Potter needs a striker this summer | Getty Images
West Ham are being tipped to hijack a transfer deal involving a striker.
West Ham are said to be interested in an exciting striker, but they will have to move quick. A huge summer for the Hammers is in progress, with Graham Potter getting the chance to put his own stamp on this squad.
The Englishman struggled to drum up any real momentum in his first five months in charge, and having been promised the summer, he will now sign the players he feels he needs to operate his system of play effectively. Potter needs a good start to the season, and if he is going to manage it, he will surely need to sign a striker.
The Iron struggled in the absence of a frontman last season, with Michail Antonio and Niklas Fullkrug struggling with injury, while Evan Ferguson wasn’t particularly effective after joining on loan in January. A new striker signing is a certainty this summer, and according to Team Football, West Ham could hijack a deal involving Saint-Etienne striker Lucas Stassin.
It’s claimed Lens have agreed terms on a deal, but the deal is far from done due to the lurking presence of the Iron. It’s claimed the asking price for the 20-year-old is around £15million this summer.
Stassin scored 15 times and provided eight assists last season, and he is already making a strong impact at senior level despite his youth. Stassin said in May amid talk of a move this summer: "My initial goal was to finish the season strong, to give my all, and stay focused on the matches. Now, with this injury, my perspective has shifted a bit. I will first aim to recover and end the season on a high note, then we’ll see what happens during the transfer window. My focus remains on the season's conclusion, and we’ll take it from there."
Potter on West Ham plans
Speaking back in April, West Ham boss Potter said of his summer plans: “The potential here is huge and exciting. We have a lot of things going for us. The resources are there to be competitive. We have a really ambitious and supportive board. Now it is about building a foundation to allow us to achieve.”
He added: “The club invested quite a lot of money in the summer, but if you look at a lot of those players, how many have consistently been playing. As I always say, with any squad I think you always have to think ‘we’re here where we are and now how do you build to get to where you want to be.”
Potter also reminded fans that the club would have to be responsible amid excitement from some sections of the support over potential big spending. he said: “Again it’s about working together, working with the club, making good decisions, being responsible. I think in every window, your responsibility is to try to improve the team. And that will continue. We have to make some decisions to be able to improve that (the way we play and where we are in the table), because no-one wants to be where we are now that’s for sure.”
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