WHZ View: Lucky transfer escape reported – now West Ham must target different striker profile
Reports that West Ham have been priced out of a move for Bournemouth striker Josh King should be welcomed and David Moyes should target a younger, more prolific striker instead.
King has been linked to West Ham on numerous occasions over the last few months and even before the closure of the previous transfer window when Moyes tried to get his man.
However hopes of landing King in January look to be over with the Hammers unable to reach a deal with Championship high-fliers Bournemouth.
Talksport presenter Alex Crook reported on his Twitter account that it “Looks like #WHUFC have been priced out of a move for Josh King. #AFCB open to selling but only for the right price. David Moyes a fan but more attractive for buying clubs to wait until the summer when he will be a free agent. King short of options now #WBA would be sideways step”
King scored his first goals of the season on Saturday when his Bournemouth side thrashed Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup third round.
His double helped them into the next round but it was the first time the Norway international has scored since a penalty in the last game of the 2019/20 Premier League season on July 26.
Saturday’s game was only his ninth club appearance of the season and fourth start. He has only played 372 minutes of Championship football in this campaign.
He has suffered with injury and the constant rumours linking him with a move away from the south-coast club is sure to have affected him somewhat but this lack of form is not encouraging news for West Ham and so it is not an ideal fit for them.
King is out of contract this summer and would be available on a free contract which would intensify the race for his signature even more.
If he does not move in January then perhaps the Hammers should keep an eye on his progress a make a move to acquire him upon the expiry of his contract, but they should avoid signing him this month.
The sale of Sebastien Haller to Ajax has netted the club a sizeable fee so the focus should be on reinvesting that in an elite talent or a younger striker in form.
Signing an out-of-form, injury-hit 28-year-old should not be top of Moyes’ agenda, and the news delivered by Crook should give some relief to Hammers fans.
Moyes is after someone to shoulder the goalscoring burden with Michail Antonio and seemingly wants someone in a similar mould to the 30-year-old, which is why Haller was allowed to leave.
King does fit some of these requirements with his preference to run in behind defences though he is less powerful than Antonio and might not be able to lead the line on his own.
Many of his Premier League displays for Bournemouth came as part of a two up top with Callum Wilson, for example.
King only scored six Premier League goals in 26 games last season, four less than Antonio in less games.
With West Ham the joint lowest scorers in the top 10 and only Burnley and Crystal Palace naming older starting XI’s than them, the club should be mindful of the approach they are taking to transfers, and aim for more ambition.
King is not the answer, in the short or medium term, and Moyes should use this failure as a means of adjusting his policy at the club.
In other West Ham news, Hammers linked to Real Madrid striker who is keen on London switch.