West Ham’s nightmare start to the season has left them in a perilous position near the foot of the Premier League table.
Not only are the Hammers leaking goals for fun (more than any other term in the league, in fact), they are also finding it painfully hard to score themselves, having scored just six times in eight games – with three of those coming in their only win over the season over Nottingham Forest.
Despite flashes from Lucas Paquetá and Jarrod Bowen in the final third, Nuno Espírito Santo knows his side desperately need attacking reinforcements when the January window opens.
The Hammers have been linked with a host of attacking names — from the realistic (Vitor Roque) to the wildly ambitious (Endrick and Gonzalo García from Real Madrid).
Somewhere in between lies Joshua Zirkzee, and now it seems their pursuit of the Dutchman has taken a huge step forward.
Zirkzee to Hand In Transfer Request
Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee. (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)
Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee. (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)
According to a new report from The Evening Standard, Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee is set to hand in a transfer request ahead of the January window — with West Ham reportedly leading the race for his signature.
The Netherlands international, once described as “aggressive” by United boss Rúben Amorim, has endured a torrid spell at Old Trafford since joining from Bologna in a £36 million deal.
Despite high expectations, Zirkzee has failed to establish himself, scoring just seven goals in 49 appearances last season and none so far this term.
Having slipped even further down the pecking order following United’s signings of Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo, Zirkzee is said to have accepted that he has no future under Amorim. Sources claim both he and his representatives will now push for an exit — either permanently or on loan with an option to buy.
Zirkzee is believed to prefer staying in the Premier League, though a move back to mainland Europe isn’t off the table if it guarantees him regular minutes.
For West Ham, it’s potentially encouraging news — an available, Premier League-ready striker who fits Nuno’s preferred style.
But given Zirkzee’s patchy record and United’s likely demands, the question remains: would he solve West Ham’s scoring crisis or simply add to their growing list of expensive misfires?