West Ham United manager Graham Potter.placeholder image
West Ham United manager Graham Potter. | Getty Images
West Ham United aim to do further business before the end of the transfer window
West Ham United have been one of the Premier League’s less active sides in the transfer market and may head into the new season with a few question marks yet to be answered.
A lack of creativity was at times displayed during last season’s 14th-placed finish, which has not been rectified by the sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur in a £55million deal. The club’s expenditure has only just eclipsed this fee, with Jean-Clair Todibo, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Mads Hermansen arriving for around £70m between them.
The Hammers have also used the free agent market well, bringing in Kyle Walker-Peters from Southampton to offer competition in the full-back area, while former Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has signed as a direct replacement for Michail Antonio, who departed with a heavy heart after a decade of service to the club. West Ham have been linked with another free agent as their summer continues.
West Ham linked with Dominic Calvert-Lewin
As per reports by Caught Offside, West Ham are one of several Premier League clubs who have shown interest in a deal for former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has found himself as a free agent after failing to agree a new deal with the Toffees.
Manchester United, Newcastle and Sunderland are also reportedly in the race for Calvert-Lewin, in addition to Aston Villa. Ruben Amorim views him as a back-up option to new signing Benjamin Sesko, while the Magpies have held talks but are said to put off by his reported £100,000-per-week wage demands. As a result, discussions have stalled.
Sunderland are seen as an ‘aggressive domestic bidder’ and can offer the former England striker regular first-team football. Villa could view him as a replacement if Ollie Watkins departs. There has also been interest from the Bundesliga, the MLS and Saudi Arabia in the free signing of Calvert-Lewin.
What would Calvert-Lewin bring to West Ham?
Calvert-Lewin is a proven Premier League goalscorer with 57 goals in the top flight. But he has not hit double figures in the league since his career-best of 16 in 2020-21, which saw him called up for Gareth Southgate’s England squad in the autumn.
Injuries have no doubt blighted Calvert-Lewin’s career since then, as he has only played 30 Premier League games once in the last four seasons. Alongside the also injury-prone Wilson and Niclas Fullkrug, Calvert-Lewin would complete a strike-force of capable goal scorers - if they can stay fit.
Should the club and manager Graham Potter decide that a more expensive signing is not feasible, Calvert-Lewin could be an effective option if they can trust him to stay injury-free. If the new surroundings can help the Sheffield-born striker find his goalscoring boots again, a gamble could prove worth it.
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