West Ham United might have spent in excess of £40 million on Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe during the January transfer window, but the latest media noises suggest that another centre-forward may be on the way.
Bologna hotshot Santiago Castro was linked this week. Reports out of Mexico claim that West Ham contacted Chivas poacher Armando ‘Hormiga’ Gonzalez regarding the possibility of following in Javier Hernandez’s footsteps.
Gossip column regular Jonathan David could be cut loose by Juventus. And, inevitably, West Ham United have been brought into the conversation once again.
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The Juventus striker will be available this summer…
Jonathan David during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Como
Photo by Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images
Another name to keep half an eye on, though, may be Manfred Ugalde; the Costa Rican striker playing in Russia with Spartak Moscow.
Manfred Ugalde was on West Ham United’s radar a while back
Hammers News were told back in December 2024 that Manfred Ugalde had caught West Ham’s attention during a fine stint in the Dutch Eredivisie with FC Twente.
Speaking on Tigo Sports, the 23-year-old’s agent has now revealed that Spartak Moscow are planning to cash in on the 2024/25 Russian Premier League Golden Boot winner.
What’s more, a bid of around £15 million may be sufficient.
FC Twente v AZ Alkmaar - Dutch Eredivisie
Photo by Peter Lous/BSR Agency/Getty Images
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“We should be able to reach 17 million euros,” Kurt Morsink says. “That would be an amount everyone could be satisfied with.
“I think Spartak Moscow is thinking of something like that.”
Ugalde scored 18 goals last season. He has struggled at times this term – netting only seven across all competitions – but a reduced price-tag could make him a low-cost, potentially high-reward option for the Hammers.
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Malick Diouf playing for West Ham against Newcastle United. Mateus Fernandes playing for West Ham against Tottenham.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Reported striker targets have a Sergio Aguero-style profile
Callum Wilson is due to leave when his contract expires, Pablo Felipe is yet to score a Premier League goal, and Taty Castellanos’ influence is waning after a bright start.
While Ugalde’s name has not been mentioned in conjunction with West Ham for over a year now, the former City Football Group talent does appear to fit the sort of profile they are looking for.
Like Santiago Castro and Armando Gonzalez, Ugalde is a busy, stocky striker who makes up for a lack of height with a low centre of gravity and a flyweight’s physique. Castro has been compared to Sergio Aguero, and so too has Ugalde.
“If you are a striker, you have to score a lot. Ugalde is a good striker, so everything works out for him,” Spartak Moscow teammate Theo Bongonda once told Euro Football.
“Perhaps [he is similar to] Aguero. But, overall, Manfred is one of a kind. He is a special player and a great person. I am sure he has a great future ahead of him.”
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