West Ham United are plotting a winter offer for one side’s striker after having behind-the-scenes conversations with club chiefs, and it appears imperative they begin to move after Niclas Fullkrug’s latest injury nightmare.
Niclas Fullkrug suffers "significant" hamstring injury
The £27 million summer signing from Borussia Dortmund was just beginning to find his feet and put in some noteworthy displays after recovering from a persistent achilles tendon problem, but Fullkrug now finds himself back on the sidelines.
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The 31-year-old, who bagged two goals and an assist before his latest setback, will be out of action for months – as confirmed by new manager Graham Potter.
“It’s fair to say it’s a significant one,” said Potter on Fullkrug’s injury. “When a player pulls up like that you know something fairly serious has happened.
“It’s still early in terms of full diagnosis but nevertheless a significant one, a number of weeks. Months? A number of weeks probably adds up to months, yes. So yeah, I would say that.
Fulham (home)
Today
Crystal Palace (home)
January 18
Aston Villa (away)
January 26
Chelsea (away)
February 3
Brentford (home)
February 15
“Crysencio felt something after about 35 minutes and finished the first half, but probably not at 100 per cent. It’s touch and go but probably erring towards the negative at the moment, but we’ll see.
“We’ve got some attacking options so my focus at the moment is on the team and on how to get the team to function as well as possible, with a view to being competitive and trying to win against Fulham.”
While Potter appears to be downplaying the need for another number nine, Michail Antonio’s horrific car crash, which means he’ll reportedly be out for around a year, leaves West Ham’s boss with just one recognised natural striker in Danny Ings.
Jarrod Bowen played there as a makeshift option under Julen Lopetegui, but the England forward is also unavailable for selection. This has prompted numerous reports linking the east Londoners with a proven goalscorer, and it is reported that West Ham had a recent bid rejected for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.
West Ham planning January loan bid for Marseille striker Elye Wahi
According to esteemed French newspaper L’Equipe, Marseille striker Elye Wahi has found his way onto Tim Steidten and David Sullivan’s radar.
The 22-year-old only joined Roberto De Zerbi’s side from Lens last summer, but he’s managed just three goals in all competitions across 14 total appearances. Interestingly, Wahi was a target for West Ham back in 2023, so it appears they’re now revisiting a potential move for him.
L’Equipe state that West Ham have made contact and held discussions with Marseille chiefs over Wahi, as they plan to move forward on a potential loan deal, which would include an “almost obligatory” clause to buy him outright at around £21 million.
However, the Ligue 1 side are cautious after these talks, as they’re not that keen to part company with a player they signed for a potential £25 million (including add-ons) very recently.
In terms of his proficiency, Wahi scored 19 top flight goals in 33 starts during one of his best seasons at Lens in 2022/2023, with journalist Andrés Onrubia calling him a “real beast” back in 2022.
