West Ham boss Moyes wants new Antonio-like striker in January – report
West Ham manager David Moyes is keen to recruit a striker in January who has a similar profile to Michail Antonio, according to The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas.
With Antonio continuing to struggle with injuries this season, Moyes is apparently after a forward that can offer a similar style to the 30-year-old, who was West Ham’s top scorer in the Premier League last season with 10 goals.
Leading the line in place of Antonio has been Sebastien Haller, who has failed to capitalise on the opportunity afforded to him by Antonio’s absence.
In a Sensible Transfers article for The Athletic, Thomas has lamented Haller’s recent displays, and offered a possible replacement, “Haller has shown he is unable to match the same level of intensity as Antonio and, more recently, has been prone to giving the ball away, with Mateusz Klich’s opener at Leeds United being a case in point.
“The Athletic understands that Moyes would like a striker with a skill set more similar to Antonio.
“This is where [Joshua] King comes in: the former Manchester United trainee can play centrally or out wide and should be more comfortable leading the line in West Ham’s formation than Haller.
“King has also shown he can score regularly in the top flight, with a record of 48 goals in 161 Premier League games, including 16 in the 2016-17 season. However, he might lack match fitness considering he has only played 11 games for club and country this season, without finding the net in any of them.”
Haller’s struggles continue
The form of Haller remains an ongoing issue for West Ham as they prepare to enter the January transfer window, as doubts persist over his suitability to this team.
The blank against Brighton means Haller has only scored one goal in his last six appearances, and the forward is clearly struggling to lead the line on his own.
Haller was bought from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2019 after a terrific 2018-19 campaign for the German outfit, hitting 20 goals in all competitions.
He forged a formidable partnership with Luka Jovic at the top end of Frankfurt’s attack, before the forward pair both departed for new sides (Jovic signed for Real Madrid).
However, on his own, Haller’s lack of mobility and pace is a problem for the Hammers, and if Moyes continues to operate with a single striker, the Ivory Coast international’s issues look likely to carry on.
If West Ham do look for alternatives in the January transfer window, Thomas’ suggestion of Josh King would seem sensible, particularly given their reported interest in the Bournemouth striker last summer.
For now, though, Moyes and his coaches must find a way to get the best out of Haller, or conjure up a new attacking dimension, otherwise the Hammers will continue to struggle in Antonio’s absence.
In other West Ham news, Moyes admits he got team selection wrong against Brighton.