Former West Ham player and assistant manager Stuart Pearce claims there are many similarities between Hammers target Ivan Toney and England captain Harry Kane.
It was reported last month that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were working on a deal to bring Toney back from Saudi Arabia, and when speaking about the striker, Pearce said:
“I like Ivan Toney. You put some legs around Ivan Toney and he’s the closest thing, probably like-for-like type [England have] to Harry Kane in some ways.”
Most Read on Hammers Headlines
Toney moved from Brentford to Al-Ahli for £40m last year, and he has been linked with transfers to several Premier League clubs since then.
West Ham need to replace Fullkrug
It looks like Niclas Fullkrug will do everything he can to force a move away from the London Stadium in January.
His agent has publicly declared that the 32-year-old wants a transfer, and discussions about a move back to Germany have already taken place, despite West Ham being reluctant to sanction his departure without adequate compensation.
Toney does seem like the ideal replacement on paper, but it is up for debate whether the Irons actually have the funds to buy him.
Cheaper forwards may be targeted
If Toney does prove to be out of reach, alternatives will have to be looked at. Signing Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee on loan is under consideration. However, the Dutchman’s goal record is not great.
Club Brugge’s Romeo Vermant and Saint Etienne’s Lucas Stassin are also on the club’s shortlist, but neither has experience of playing at the highest level, and bringing in a relatively untested player in the midst of a potential relegation battle would be a huge gamble. It appears as if the striker problem could be a very difficult one to solve.
Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here