Sullivan must bring Steidten ‘back from dead’ to end West Ham desperation
West Ham United are on a desperate hunt for a new striker this window and Tim Steidten may be the solution.
The German was asked to stay away from Rush Green in Julen Lopetegui’s final days in charge of the Irons and has since found his influence at the London Stadium diminished.
He was left on the periphery as Karren Brady took charge of negotiations with new head coach Graham Potter, while David Sullivan has taken greater control of transfers [The Guardian].
There are suggestions that the transfer guru could follow Lopetegui out of the club amid concerns over his track record, particularly after spending over £100million last summer [The Times].
However, Sullivan may be left with no option but to summon Steidten back from the dead as West Ham become increasingly desperate in the market.
Tim Steidten to use Bundesliga contacts to sign striker for West Ham
Long-term injuries to Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug have left new head coach Graham Potter with Danny Ings as his only senior centre-forward – a precarious situation for a club lingering around the relegation zone to be in.
That is why, two weeks into the winter transfer window, the East London outfit are on a desperate hunt for a new number nine.
One can be forgiven if they have lost track of the number of strikers the Irons have been linked with in recent days.
Evan Ferguson, Marcus Rashford, Taiwo Awoniyi, Elye Wahi and even Michy Batshuayi – a link that would make one wonder if they were in 2020 – have all been mooted as options for West Ham.
The latest player linked with a move to the London Stadium is RB Leipzig’s Andre Silva.
According to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian (14 January), Potter’s side consider the 29-year-old to be an “attractive option” in a difficult market.
Having found all their striker pursuits reach a dead-end so far, West Ham cannot afford any more mistakes if they want to bring in a new number nine before the window closes on 3 February.
That is why Sullivan should not hesitate to fetch Steidten’s help to complete a straight loan deal for Silva.
The German found himself in trouble after shelling out 27m to sign Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.
Now, he may have the opportunity to right that wrong by roping in another striker from the Bundesliga – this time without a significant cash outlay – and end the Hammers’ desperation for a new striker.
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