West Ham have win-win Michail Antonio solution staring them right in the face
Former West Ham forward Michail Antonio is reportedly in talks with Championship outfit Charlton.
The Jamaican left the London Stadium last summer following the expiration of his contract, though he continued his rehabilitation with the club after a road traffic accident in December 2024.
Antonio trained with Leicester City at the end of 2025, before a move to the Foxes fell through due to injury.
It was reported by TalkSPORT that the 35-year-old is in negotiations with Leicester’s Championship competitors Charlton Athletic, who are looking to secure their second tier future following promotion from League One last May.
Though, with West Ham fighting a relegation battle of their own, there may be a solution involving Antonio staring right at them.
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Michail Antonio would provide valuable experience as West Ham look to secure safety
Making the move to Hammers ahead of their final season at Upton Park in 2015, Antonio has played a pivotal role in shaping what is the modern day West Ham.
Despite the introduction of strikers with fantastic records over the years, the Jamaican always found his way back into the side – particularly under David Moyes, who got the best out of the versatile forward.
At 35, Antonio is entering the final years of his career. This is not to say that he could not make a short-term impact as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side aim to avoid relegation.
January arrivals Taty Castellanos and Pablo have both made big impacts in the final third for West Ham, despite just one goal between them.
Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen, in particular, have begun to thrive out wide, with the work-rate and positional know-how of Argentine Castellanos freeing up the pair of wingers, who have scored six goals between them in their last five.
Even if it were a short contract until the end of the term, Antonio would be an excellent backup option, with his experience at the club meaning he will not have to adapt to his surroundings while he gets back to full fitness ahead of a potential move elsewhere in the summer.
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West Ham seem to have finally got striker recruitment right
For years, West Ham have scoured the market for a centre-forward. And it continues to baffle as to how many high-level strikers recruited have just not produced at the London Stadium.
Niclas Fullkrug was the latest in that line, following on from Javier Hernandez, Sebastian Haller and Gianluca Scamacca, who have all been moved on from the club after making little to no impact despite starring elsewhere.
Aided by Nuno’s more continental style of play, Castellanos has adapted like a duck to water since his move to England, and while he has scored just one goal, his presence and movement have provided a stark contrast to that of his German predecessor.
With West Ham seemingly getting their recruitment right up top for the first time in a long while, there would be much less pressure on Antonio to come in and be expected to make an impact similar to that of his peak years.
Should the Hammers stay in the Premier League, they look to have found the striker to ideally lead them into next season – Antonio could help them secure this future.
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