Frank McAvennie: New striker not needed at West Ham United thanks to ‘outstanding’ Danny Ings
Frank McAvennie has claimed West Ham do not need to sign a big-name striker as they already have Danny Ings and Michail Antonio at the London Stadium.
The former West Ham man insisted Ings has been “outstanding” in recent performances, while Antonio and Jarrod Bowen can provide support in the role and Divin Mubama continues his development.
This comes after the Hammers have been linked to big-money moves for the likes of Ivan Toney from Brentford [The Sun, 19 March] and Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen [Alan Nixon, 21 January] over the last couple of transfer windows.
McAvennie – speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone – claimed that, having adapted to David Moyes’ style of play, Ings should now be the first-choice option at the London Stadium.
“They’ve unearthed Bowen, and they’ve got Ings who was outstanding [against Burnley] and then got dropped,” McAvennie shared.
“The guy’s shown that he’s adapted to Moyes’ style, I never thought he could play in that style, but when they’re not defending as much he was man of the match. He was outstanding. They’ve got a wonderful goalscorer there.
“I would play him with Bowen just off him. I don’t know if another striker would work because why would you if you’re not going to play him? Ings is there and he can score goals so he’s got a chance.
“I wouldn’t bother spending money on a top striker because you’ve got him there and Antonio will be there when he’s fit. Then you’ve got Bowen who can play there and Mubama coming through who’s going to be the next big thing.“
West Ham still need to sign a new striker this summer
There is no doubt Ings has stepped up when called upon in recent games, and the same goes for Antonio after he scored two in two games, but a big-name forward and reliable goalscorer is still desperately needed at West Ham.
Neither Ings nor Antonio can be relied upon for a full season, while Bowen isn’t an out-and-out striker and Mubama has plenty of room to grow, so bringing in a first-choice option would do the Hammers plenty of good.
Links to the likes of Boniface and Toney will prove exciting heading into the summer window, as a 25-goal striker could well prove the difference between the Europa Conference League, Europa League and Champions League finishes for the Hammers.
Praise for both Antonio and Ings is certainly deserved after their recent performances, but it cannot be forgotten how rarely they have stepped up this season, and a consistent goalscorer could make a huge difference.
In other West Ham news, a new centre-back transfer is on the cards at the London Stadium.
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