West Ham suffer knockback as Sasa Kalajdzic January transfer news emerges
West Ham have been on the search for a brand-new striker in the absence of Michail Antonio and the lack of quality shown by Danny Ings.
It appeared that the Hammers may have found a solution to their attacking problem, targeting a loan move for Wolves outcast Sasa Kalajdzic, as per Sport1. But the club have been dealt a major blow in that quest.
Also being selected by Eintracht Frankfurt as a potential suitor, the German club looks set to complete a six-month loan deal for the 26-year-old, according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook.
With David Moyes preferring a move for a Premier League-experienced striker, West Ham seemed set to make a decent signing up front during January, but that window might have just closed.
Having overcome injury, Kalajdzic has made just 14 appearances since making the switch to the Midlands from VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2022. However, he has managed to net three goals in that time and has threatened while on the pitch.
But with the Austrian slipping down the pecking order at London Stadium, and the forward eager to gain valuable minutes on the pitch ahead of EURO 2024, West Ham had the perfect opportunity to solve their own problems as well as help others.
Jarrod Bowen has been deputising in the striker position for the Hammers. And although he has done a fine job there, his natural position is on the right wing and West Ham fans will know that the current plan should not be a long-term one.
With Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta in attack, it is easy to presume that West Ham want to play fast, counterattacking football. But when it comes to fixtures where they hold the majority of possession, they struggle to hold the ball up with a larger forward for the others to build an attack off.
The Wolves man, standing at 6 foot 7 inches, has that kind of play stuffed in his locker, as well as the ability to run the channels when asked of him. But it looks likely now that the striker will return to Germany after making 60 appearances for Stuttgart, scoring 24 goals and tempting Wolves into purchasing him.