West Ham official flies out on transfer mission as double striker swoop emerges
West Ham United are prioritising the signing of at least one striker in Graham Potter’s first summer transfer window as their head coach.
The centre-forward position has been an area of concern for West Ham this season, with Niclas Fullkrug, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings netting just four goals between them across all competitions.
David Sullivan sanctioned the signing of Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton in the winter transfer window after Fullkrug and Antonio suffered long-term injuries, but the Irishman has amassed just 92 minutes of playing time so far.
The Irons do not intend to make an effort to make Ferguson’s loan move permanent, while Antonio and Ings’ contracts are due to expire at the end of the season as things stand.
West Ham eye Baris Alper Yilmaz and Semih Kilicsoy
That is why West Ham will enter the market for a new striker again this summer, with the groundwork already being laid.
A Hammers official will be in attendance for the derby between Besiktas and Galatasaray on Saturday (29 March) to watch two strikers in action, according to Takvim.
The Turkish newspaper reported via their website on Thursday (27 March) that a member of West Ham’s player monitoring committee will scout Semih Kilicsoy and Baris Alper Yilmaz this weekend.
The East London outfit have been following the two Turkey internationals for a year and are continuing to keep close tabs on them ahead of the summer.
| Player | Matches | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Minutes Per Goal Contribution |
| Semih Kilicsoy | 25 | 1176′ | 3 | 4 | 168′ |
| Baris Alper Yilmaz | 26 | 2102′ | 10 | 3 | 162′ |
The scout is expected to submit a report to West Ham’s technical team after watching Kilicsoy and Yilmaz live in action on Saturday.
While it is unclear if Graham Potter’s side will look to sign both of them if the report is positive, it is worth noting that Kilicsoy is already on Aston Villa’s agenda.
Yilmaz and Kilicsoy on Irons radar
This is not the first time West Ham have been linked with Yilmaz and Kilicsoy.
The Irons’ interest in Kilicsoy, 19, was initially reported in the media in last year’s January transfer window.
Meanwhile, Yilmaz was linked with a move to the London Stadium as recently as this January before the Hammers signed Ferguson.