Michail Antonio told he will not be allowed to leave West Ham this summer
West Ham striker Michail Antonio has been told he will not be allowed to leave the club this summer, despite plenty of interest in his signature, according to West Ham Football.
The editor of 6foot2 shared via his Twitter account on 22 August that the Jamaican will not be allowed to leave due to the club being unable to find a replacement for Gianluca Scamacca so far.
As they are unable to replace Scamacca, the chances of finding a second forward to also replace Antonio sound remote as things stand, so they will not let him leave unless a replacement is signed.
Recruits are needed regardless
Irrespective of Antonio’s future at the club, West Ham are still in need of reinforcements up front and should continue their push to sign new players before the transfer window closes on 1 September.
The Jamaican striker scored a thunderous goal in the 3-1 win over Chelsea and provides David Moyes with the level of physicality he likes to have in his strikers. Moyes prefers a forward that can bully the opposition defence, and Antonio is exactly that.
Because of this, the decision for Antonio to remain at the London Stadium this season should prove a good one, but he cannot be relied upon as the main starting striker for a full season – as he proved last time out, only recording five goals in 33 Premier League appearances.
Behind Antonio, the Hammers’ only other option is Danny Ings. A fantastic finisher and goalscorer, but his consistent injury issues will be a concern that the club need to rectify by bringing in a new forward who can be their main number nine.
In other West Ham news, the club had made a £40million bid for an attacker whose future is now decided.