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Manchester United player ratings from their victory over West Ham in the Premier League | Manchester United via Getty Images
West Ham have been linked to signing Man United striker Joshua Zirkzee in January.
West Ham will be heading into the January transfer window in a very familiar position, as they are yet again looking to sign a striker to become the first team regular at the London Stadium. Callum Wilson currently has that position, but he’s scored just four goals, and he is 33 years old.
Zirkzee has made 58 appearances since joining United in the summer of 2024, but he’s scored just eight goals and provided three assists. Zirkzee is estimated to be worth around £36m, and so West Ham could look at a cheaper alternative instead.
West Ham should sign Portuguese league top scorer instead
If the Hammers want a dynamic, proven goal scorer, then they should turn their attention away from Zirkzee, and it seems they are potentially doing so. According to TeamTalk, West Ham are eyeing up a move for Rio Ave striker Clayton, who is currently the top scorer in the Portuguese league.
The 26-year-old has scored 10 goals in 13 league games for Rio Ave this season, and since joining the Portuguese club, the Brazilian striker has demonstrated his goal-scoring ability. He’s netted 28 goals in 50 games since he joined in August 2024, which is considerably better than Zirkzee.
Yes, the Portuguese league isn’t at the same level as the Premier League, but playing for Rio Ave, it’s not like they are one of the big teams in the league, and so he will have had tougher opponents in the form of Porto, Sporting CP and Benfica.
The Brazilian striker has an estimated market value of just £6m, and so he would be a much cheaper alternative to Zirkzee, but the difference is that he’s shown he can score a lot of goals at the top level.
Which other striker could West Ham sign?
The 22-year-old has been on fire since moving to Al-Hilal in September 2024, scoring 40 goals in 57 games. He was previously somewhat of a goal-machine for Brazilian side Santos, where he scored 54 goals in 168 matches.
It isn’t understood how much West Ham offered for the 22-year-old, but it seems they will need to send an improved bid if they want to sign Leonardo in the January transfer window; otherwise, Zirkzee and Clayton could be more likely additions.
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