West Ham fans have picked out their top targets ahead of this summers transfer window. David Moyes team needs reinforcements in three positions. Those areas are striker, central-midfielder and goalkeeper.
The most obvious position that needed strengthening was the striker position. West Ham only have Michail Antonio as the only recognised senior striker in the club after the sale of Sebastien Haller in January. The only natural option in the club is Ademipo Obudeko, but he is still a very raw talent and needs more time to develop.
Antonio had already become the first-choice striker before Haller’s sale with his all-action performances. The 30-year-old, however, is starting to suffer from regular hamstring injuries, and back-up is desperately needed, just to take the burden off his shoulders.
David Moyes will have to add to his West Ham squad this summer, especially if they manage to qualify for European qualification, which is looking likely.
The other major position that needs reinforcements is in the central-midfield. There is no doubting that Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are proving to be one of the bets double-pivots in Europe. The main concern is that there is no quality in depth, should one of the two pick up an injury, or be scarily sold.
The club have shifted the likes of Carlos Sanchez, Jack Wilshere, Robert Snodgrass and Josh Cullen, who were able to play in those roles. Mark Noble is now the only natural centre midfielder in the club behind the two starters. The club captain is considering his retirement, making back-up increasingly necessary.
The final position that has been considered is between the sticks. Lukasz Fabianski has been a fabulous servant for the club, but with occasional injuries and with not long left on his contract, a replacement must be lined up.
Fabianski is also 35-years-old, so even if his contract was renewed, he might start to consider his own retirement. The club’s current first-team backups aren’t much younger either. Darren Randolph is 33-years-old, and David Martin is 35-years-old. Also, neither of them would be considered good enough to take on the responsibility of the number one shirt.
Dean Henderson – Manchester United
With rumours circulation about Lukasz Fabianski’s future at the club, it could be time for West Ham to considering bringing in a new goalkeeper. Fans were given the options of Aaron Ramsdale (Sheffield United), Alphonse Areola (on loan Fulham from PSG), Ondřej Kolář (SK Slavia Prague) and Manchester United number two Dean Henderson.
Henderson won the vote by a considerable margin. The 23-year-old picked up 60.7 per cent of fans votes. The next favoured choice was Kolář, who was voted for by 20.5 per cent, and then Areola, who received 17.3 per cent. Ramsdale finished dead last, only being voted for by 1.6 per cent of fans.
The former Sheffield United loanee would be a superb addition to the West Ham squad and would also show a lot of ambition from the club. Henderson was expected to replace David De Gea at Old Trafford this season, but a couple of mistakes have seen him play back-up for most of the season. Even though De Gea has arguably made as many mistakes.
Henderson is believed to have a price-tag of around £40 million, which would be a considerable chunk of the Hammers summer transfer budget. David Moyes would also have to beat off competition from Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. The two rivals are also thinking it is time to replace their ageing goalkeepers Hugo Lloris and Kasper Schmeichel.
If West Ham did win the race for Henderson, then it would sort the position out arguably for the next decade unless a big team came calling for him. In which case, the Hammers would be able to make a sizable profit on the keeper who has the potential to be a future England number one.
Alex Kral – Spartak Moscow
After Jack Wilshere, Carlos Sanchez, Robert Snodgrass and Josh Cullen left, the squad has lacked depth in the central midfield. Mark Noble is the only natural central-midfielder that can play back-up to Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek. However, it may not be long until Noble hangs up his boots. Therefore a new midfielder is a necessity.
Fans voted on four midfielders that have been linked with moves to the London Stadium, and their response was more varied than it was for the goalkeeper. Alex Kral won the vote with 34 per cent of the vote. The next favoured option was Fulham man André-Frank Zambo Anguissa who collected 24.6 per cent of the vote. Sheffield United’s Sander Berge was the third choice with 22.5 per cent of the vote.
The last option was Teun Koopmeiners from AZ Alkmaar. The club captain finished in the last place with only 18.9 per cent of the vote. All four would have been good additions to David Moyes squad and would have added quality in depth.
Alex Kral, however, looks like he would be a superb addition to the West Ham squad. The central-midfielder is brilliant defensively and would help protect the backline. Kral is also able to play as a centre-back. Utility is a trait Moyes likes in his players.
Currently, at Spartak Moscow, Kral used to be a teammate of Soucek and Vladimir Coufal. If the Czech midfielder could have the same impact as his compatriots, he could prove to be a solid midfield option. Though with a few years left on his contract, Kral could command a fee upwards of £20 million, which would be a lot for a back-up player.
Kral is only 22-years-old and could develop even further. If West Ham do qualify for Europe next season, there would be plenty of chances for the midfielder to get some solid game time.
Abdallah Sima – SK Slavia Prague
The closest poll of the three votes was about who should be the man to bang in the goals next season for West Ham. As Michail Antonio is the only recognised senior striker at the club, it’s crucial the club sign a new striker for the next season. Especially when taking into consideration Antonio’s injury record.
Blackburn’s Adam Armstrong was dead last in the vote with only 7.1 per cent. The next three options were very close. Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham received 29 per cent, Brentford’s Ivan Toney was second with 30.3 per cent. The winner was, however, Abdallah Sima with 33.5 per cent of the vote.
Sima might be the least experienced striker on this list at only 19-years-old, but he is showing fantastic promise in the Czech League. The striker has scored 19 goals in 29 games for SK Slavia Prague in all competitions, including a brilliant striker against Leicester City in the Europa League.
The Senegalese forward can also play on the right-wing and has provided five assists for his teammates. West Ham have a good relationship with Slavia Prague. Although their President has played down the officiality of it, the Hammers could have an advantage on rivals for Sima’s signature.
While Sima’s stats are impressive, and there is clearly potential in him to become a world-beater, it may be too soon for him to be a reliable goalscorer in the Premier League. Having said that, with the footballing education he has had from Prague, and if he takes to the League like Soucek and Coufal, it could finally be the answer to West Ham’s decade long striker hunt.
If West Ham follow the fans advice, it could be an exciting summer for transfer business at the London Stadium.