The mood around West Ham United at the moment isn't a particularly positive one, as Graham Potter's side got their Premier League campaign underway with a demoralising defeat away to newly promoted Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.
The game was a stark reminder that the club need to do more business before the window closes next month, as with the squad the way it is, a relegation scrap feels almost inevitable.
One of the areas most desperately in need of reinforcing is up top, as while he certainly tried, Niclas Füllkrug looked miles off the pace and like someone who will struggle all season.
west-ham
Fortunately, recent reports have linked the Hammers with an exciting centre-forward who'd be a massive upgrade on the German.
West Ham target a Füllkrug upgrade
While it's undoubtedly true that West Ham have not done enough business this summer, it's also true that some of the few deals they have completed have been pretty good.
For example, securing someone as experienced as Kyle Walker-Peters on a free in undeniably great work, and from what we saw in pre-season, and in flashes on Saturday, El Hadji Malick Diouf looks like he could be a real difference-maker this year.
Yet, to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap, the Eastenders need to bring in more talent, which appears to be what they're trying to do.
diouf-west-ham
At least that is according to recent reports, which claim West Ham are interested in Rodrigo Muniz.
In fact, it's more than that, as the reports have revealed that the club have now made a bid for Fulham's goalscoring Brazilian.
A potential price is not mentioned, but stories from earlier his summer claimed that the Cottagers could ask for as much as £43m to sell the 24-year-old.
It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Muniz has shown over the last year or so that he has what it takes to make it in the Premier League, and would be a massive upgrade on Füllkrug.
How Muniz compares to Füllkrug
Now, when it comes to centre-forwards, what matters most is their raw output, and if we compare Füllkrug's to Muniz's, there is only one winner.
Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz celebrates after the match
Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz celebrates after the match
For example, in his 36 appearances for the West Londoners last season, totalling 1355 minutes, the latter racked up an impressive tally of 11 goals and two assists.
That means that the Brazilian "revelation," as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, maintained an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.53 games, or every 104.23 minutes.
In rather stark contrast, the Hammers' German forward was only able to score three goals and provide two assists in 20 appearances, totalling 877 minutes.
In other words, the former Borussia Dortmund star averaged a goal involvement every four games, or every 175.4 minutes, which just isn't enough to be leading the line for a club the size of West Ham.
Muniz vs Füllkrug in 24/25
Players
Appearances
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Goal Involvements per Match
Minutes per Goal Involvement
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Now, on top of the simple fact that the Fulham man is the far more dangerous striker, there are some other key reasons why he would be an upgrade on the Hannover-born poacher, such as his age.
At just 24 years old, the former Flamengo gem still has plenty of upside, and according to research from The Athletic, he is still three years away from hitting his peak.
rodrigo-muniz-fulham
The 24-capped German, on the other hand, is 32 and will be turning 33 midway through this season, which suggests that his struggles to keep up with the pace of the Premier League are only going to continue and worsen as the campaign goes on.
Moreover, he missed 28 games last season, whereas the Cottagers' ace has missed just 22 across his entire career, so availability is something else that has to be taken into consideration.
Ultimately, Füllkrug is not a bad player, but he's certainly not of the level required to be an important member of West Ham's squad, and therefore, the board should do what they can to sign Muniz as his replacement before the window closes.