Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
West Ham now want £17m striker who Gary Lineker called a better goalscorer than Marcus Rashford
West Ham now want to sign a striker who Gary Lineker described as a more natural goalscorer than Marcus Rashford.
The attacking department at West Ham is in desperate need of a new No.9 as Julen Lopetegui aims for success in east London – the Hammers only have Michail Antonio and Danny Ings as recognised senior striking options right now.
Worryingly, the duo only scored eight goals combined in the 2023/24 campaign.
| Rank | Name | Goals | Assists | Played | Goals per 90 | Mins per Goal (MPG) | Total Shots | Goal Conversion | Shot Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jarrod Bowen | 20 | 10 | 44 | 0.47 | 192 | 83 | 24% | 57% |
| 2 | Mohammed Kudus | 14 | 6 | 45 | 0.36 | 250 | 62 | 23% | 45% |
| 3 | Tomás Soucek | 10 | 3 | 52 | 0.23 | 400 | 49 | 20% | 45% |
| 4 | Lucas Paquetá | 8 | 7 | 43 | 0.21 | 434 | 46 | 17% | 35% |
| 5 | James Ward-Prowse | 7 | 11 | 51 | 0.16 | 575 | 37 | 19% | 59% |
| 5 | Michail Antonio | 7 | 2 | 32 | 0.31 | 290 | 28 | 25% | 61% |
| 7 | Kurt Zouma | 3 | 0 | 39 | 0.08 | 1126 | 14 | 21% | 50% |
| 8 | Edson Álvarez | 2 | 2 | 42 | 0.06 | 1578 | 13 | 15% | 31% |
| 8 | Nayef Aguerd | 2 | 1 | 28 | 0.08 | 1179 | 15 | 13% | 40% |
| 10 | Emerson | 1 | 2 | 47 | 0.02 | 3915 | 16 | 6% | 31% |
| 10 | Maxwel Cornet | 1 | 1 | 16 | 0.26 | 340 | 4 | 25% | 25% |
| 10 | George Earthy | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2.57 | 35 | 1 | 100% | 100% |
| 10 | Danny Ings | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0.12 | 766 | 14 | 7% | 43% |
| 10 | Aaron Cresswell | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0.10 | 928 | 1 | 100% | 100% |
| 10 | Konstantinos Mavropanos | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0.03 | 2706 | 20 | 5% | 20% |
Now – however – West Ham could put things right by moving for a striker David Moyes also wanted to sign…
West Ham want Taiwo Awoniyi
Daniel Taylor of The Athletic has that West Ham want to sign Nottingham Forest No.9 Taiwo Awoniyi.
The Nottingham Forest correspondent claims that Moyes wanted the Nigeria international in January – as did Chelsea – and the Hammers retain an interest in the man from Ilorin.
Awoniyi endured a tough 2023/24 campaign, making just 20 Premier League appearances as he struggled with a groin injury.
Nevertheless, the man still finished the season with six goals and three assists – more goal involvements than Antonio managed in 26 Premier League appearances.
As aforesaid, Lineker is a big fan of Awoniyi, and even described the West Ham target as more of a natural goalscorer than Rashford when speaking on BBC One, during coverage of the FA Cup clash between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest back in February.
The 63-year-old said: “I think when you talk about players in the box, Awoniyi is more of a natural than Marcus Rashford… he is a goalscorer. He smells it.”
Julen Lopetegui might view Nottingham Forest No.9 as a backup
It is entirely possible that Lopetegui views Awoniyi as a backup target, as West Ham seem to be making good progress with a move to sign Sevilla No.15 Youssef En-Nesyri.
A story by Spanish news outlet recently claimed that the Morocco international is keen to join West Ham, and Sevilla will accept offers in the region of £20m as the striker enters the final 12 months of his contract.
En-Nesyri made a whopping appearances under Lopetegui at Sevilla, so there could well be legs to this transfer rumour.
READ MORE: What sources are now saying about West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen after Liverpool and Newcastle interest
Be sure to keep an eye on developments at the London Stadium, as West Ham are expected to sign a new striker this summer.