IN THESE less chaotic days of the latest cursèd international breaks, we thought about looking back on some of the names who had been linked with the club’s striker search – but never made it through to London Stadium.
How many of them moved, we wondered – and how many succeeded when they did? In the next couple of weeks we’re going to take a look back at a few of the ‘striker linked to West Ham’ stories to see whether the club dodged a bullet or missed a diamond.
None, in the last few years, have been linked more often that Brazilian striker Yuri Alberto: From the reports that the Hammers had a £14 million bid turned down in 2023, The Corinthians striker (part still owned by Zenit St Petersburg) has seemingly bee n on “West Ham’s radar” ever since.
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Last summer his agent was reported as agreeing personal terms – despite West Ham being in full denial. The rumours were stopped by the forward fracturing the L1 a vertebrae in his back and missing the summer.
Brazil’s golden boot winner fractured his spine
Worse was to follow – just about recovered, Alberto had to have emergency abdominal surgery in August for a inguinal hernia. Whatever that is.
Reports are sketchy as to his current fitness but it seems he did start for Corinthians in their latest match -a loss to Ceará – so hopefully better times are ahead. Don’t expect the January window to be devoid of the usual ‘Alberto to West Ham‘ links: Still only 24 years old, here is a striker who’ll be at his prime in the next 12 months when he gets back to fitness.
Sounds like he’s perfect for West Ham, striker curse and all. He just doesn’t realise it yet.