David Sullivan admits West Ham United remain very much in the market for a new striker, despite signing Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate.
Only four sides in the Premier League scored less than the Hammers’ return of 40 goals last season, and this is an area which clearly needs addressing ahead of the 2014-15 campaign. Ecuador international Valencia, who scored three times in the World Cup Finals, has joined from Pachuca for a fee in the region of £12million, whilst former Birmingham City loan star Zarate arrives from Velez Sarsfield.
However, Sam Allardyce’s plans have been dealt a blow with yet another lay-off to Andy Carroll, who has endured a largely torrid time in the capital since signing for the Upton Park, on an initial loan deal, from Liverpool two years ago. Although the 25-year-old made 24 league appearances during his debut season, he made just 15 last term and now an ankle injury is likely to rule him out until November.
It has been well documented that Allardyce has been tasked with introducing a move attractive style of football this season, which has seen the introduction of Teddy Sheringham as a striker coach. His cause would be enhanced with the addition of more firepower to his options, and this is something the club’s joint-chairman insists he is working hard to do with the new campaign just days away.
“We’ve got offers in for three or four strikers – one in England, three abroad – and we just hope to land one of them,” Sullivan told the club’s official website. “We have worked 24/7 all summer and we still want to get at least one more striker in. It’s been very, very tough. We know there aren’t enough goals in the team at the moment. Andy Carroll is injured and is out for four months and makes a huge difference to us.”
It has been widely reported that Peter Crouch, the experienced Stoke City frontman, is West Ham’s top target, but it is believed they are reluctant to meet the £3million asking price for a player who will turn 34 later this month and who is already in the final year of his contract at the Britannia Stadium. Other players who have been linked with the Londoners include Hugo Almeida, the 30-year-old Portugal international who has been released by Besiktas, and 33-year-old Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o, who spent last season in the English capital with Chelsea.
