West Ham United transfer news: Striker search covers every top league as Timo Werner mulls return after Chelsea exit
West Ham haven’t yet had a “clear answer” from Timo Werner on whether he is willing to return to the Premier League, according to Dean Jones.
The TEAMtalk journalist told GiveMeSport on 3 December that the the Hammers are still investigating a move for the former Chelsea striker but it is thought he “won’t fancy it”, so scouts are continuing the search for goalscoring help across “pretty much every top division”.
West Ham need help up front with Michail Antonio injured and off the boil, while Danny Ings has been ineffective since his arrival from Aston Villa last season and isn’t fancied by David Moyes.
Jones said: “They are looking to explore the situation just in case Timo Werner is willing to come to the Premier League.
“At the moment, I don’t think they’ve had a clear answer on that. But the indications are that Werner won’t fancy it. If that’s the case, West Ham will continue to look elsewhere.
“But, honestly, they’ve got scouts looking in pretty much every top division at the moment because they know that something needs to happen here and they will find someone.”
Recruitment drive
When Gianluca Scamacca was eventually allowed to return to Serie A in the summer it was presumed that a new striker would be coming in.
That West Ham failed to secure one, despite Antonio being heavily linked with an exit himself and Ings apparently a forgotten man, stuck out as the main disappointment from what proved to be a solid transfer window after early struggles.
Mohammed Kudus’ ability to fill in as a makeshift forward was a possible answer to the problem, and theoretically still might be.
But with Moyes not even seeing fit to start Ings in the absence of Antonio, and the latter both 34 at the end of the season and having not scored since August, West Ham clearly need someone else at the position whatever the Ghanian star does.
Viktor Gyokeres has been tipped to move on from Sporting already after only joining from Coventry in the summer, and since the Irons have been linked since that point he appears a feasible option.
But as with any transfer consideration at this stage it is likely to require Tim Steidten’s approval whoever the club go for with the technical director’s future looking more secure than the manager’s.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are after an attacking talent who was “booted out” of Tottenham.