Thierry Henry has poured salt in West Ham wounds with a stunning claim about a star David Moyes has admitted he snubbed for just £14m.
As another summer transfer window opens for business it is no surprise West Ham are on the hunt to sign another striker.
Same issue, different window for the Hammers.
Since David Sullivan took over West Ham United with David Gold in 2010, 56 strikers have been signed.
The latest was Evan Ferguson back in the January window.
His disastrous loan flop sums up how things tend to work out for West Ham and their striker signings.
Or take Niclas Fullkrug – the club’s latest permanent forward acquisition – as an example.
West Ham on the hunt for striker number 57 of Sullivan era
The German cost the Hammers £26m last summer.
But soon-to-be 33-year-old Fullkrug missed two thirds of his debut season due to injury and has scored just three goals.
Now Graham Potter has made it a top priority to sign two new strikers this summer.
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Celtic starlet Daniel Cummings will join West Ham on a free transfer and be in and around the first team squad.
But the search for a top quality new starting striker continues.
Tales of striker woe at West Ham are not limited to the players the club signs.
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Despite the perennial search for a striker, the Hammers have somewhat sickeningly passed up the chance to sign a number of top forwards too.
And a star David Moyes said he snubbed at West Ham is now the ‘world’s best’ says Thierry Henry – and it’s not Viktor Gyokeres.
The Sweden striker was on a plate for the Hammers for just £17.5m when he was leaving Coventry.
Ex West Ham boss Moyes watched Gyokeres on a number of occasions but opted against signing him.
The rest as they say is history with Gyokeres going on to prove himself among the world’s best forwards and being linked with a mega money move this summer.
He is not the best number nine in the world, though.
Star Moyes snubbed at West Ham now ‘world’s best’ says Henry
That mantle goes to another forward Moyes turned his nose up at West Ham – by the Scot’s own admission.
In 2022 West Ham were heavily linked with a move for exciting emerging striker talent Julian Alvarez – as reported back then by El Intrasigente.
At the time, Hammers News declared that the then River Plate striker Alvarez would be the ideal signing for West Ham.
Moyes did not agree, though, and Alvarez signed for Man City instead for just £14m. He remained on loan with River Plate before arriving at the Etihad the following summer.
The Scot did a fantastic job in east London and will forever be fondly remembered.
But Moyes made a jaw-dropping admission about his Alvarez snub at West Ham in which he inexplicably stated it was ‘because he had Michail Antonio’
Talk about a sliding doors moment.
Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Henry pours salt in West Ham’s gaping Alvarez wound
Alvarez went on to score a goal every three games as Man City won every available major trophy.
In that time he also helped Argentina win the World Cup and Copa America.
Moyes’ snub meant West Ham missed out on a £67m profit too after he went on to sign for Atletico Madrid in a deal worth a reported £81.5m.
Alvarez scored 29 goals and laid on five assists in his debut season with Atletico.
Now Henry has poured salt in a gaping West Ham wound, claiming the man Moyes snubbed is the ‘best number nine in the world’.
“One of my favourite nines out there (in the world) at the minute is Julian Alvarez,” Henry said on The Overlap when asked who is the best striker Premier League clubs like Arsenal should be looking to sign.
“You know (that I feel he’s the world’s best) we’ve been talking about it (off air).
“Putting pressure (on defenders), playing alone, (playing) low (gestures high), whatever you want to do (with him).
“Did you see his free-kick the other day? He can hold the ball alone. He played at the Olympic Games, he played the Copa America, he played the World Cup, I don’t ever hear him saying ‘I’m tired’.
“And the way he plays, I just like him so much.”
Forget Gyokeres, passing up on Alvarez – and for just £14m at that – must rank as one of the worst transfer decisions in West Ham history.
Let’s hope Potter can show more foresight this summer.