After beginning the Graham Potter era with yet another attacking injury, with Niclas Fullkrug the latest to be sidelined, West Ham United are now reportedly planning their first approach to sign a Premier League winner.
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Potter was left frustrated on his first game in charge of the London club when two Aston Villa goals in five second-half minutes handed Aston Villa a comeback victory to advance in the FA Cup. What then made matters worse was the injury to Fullkrug, who limped off to join Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio on the sidelines and leave West Ham in desperate need of an attacking reinforcement.
When asked whether he believes it’s imperative that his side now go on the hunt for a new striker before the end of the month, Potter told reporters as relayed by The Guardian: “It’s tempting to think there’s some guy out there that’s going to solve all your problems.
“My experience is it’s rarely as easy as that. What you don’t want to do is just go: ‘OK, we’ve signed a centre forward’ – and then you look under the button and you think: ‘Well he’s not quite at the level, or doesn’t fit the playing style, or isn’t quite the right character.’ All of a sudden you think you’ve solved the problem, but you’ve just created another one.”
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With that said, the Hammers have seemingly set their sights on an attacking option. According to Aksam as relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham are now planning their first approach to sign Michy Batshuayi in what would be a loan move away from Galatasaray.
The former Premier League winner and Chelsea striker is reportedly keen on the idea of a return to England, but it remains to be seen whether Mauro Icardi’s recent long-term injury will see Galatasaray stand in the way of his exit this month.
"Strong" Batshuayi is not a permanent solution
For the remainder of the season, Batshuayi would at least tick the box for Premier League experience and a player who is a proven goalscorer these days but he is certainly not the long-term solution that West Ham need. If they are to set their ambitions on regaining their place in European football then the likes of Jhon Duran should take priority.
The last time that Batshuayi featured in the Premier League was at Crystal Palace, where he earned the praise of Roy Hodgson. The former manager told the club’s official website not long after the forward’s debut in 2019: “He has a record of scoring in almost every debut he’s had for other teams, so that was in my mind and he almost kept that record going.
“He got the assist as the goalkeeper couldn’t take the shot and Jeff did ever so well to follow it up and tap it in, but it was strong of him to come in at such short notice and do what he did.”
That was almost six years ago, however, and questions rightly remain over Batshuayi’s ability to step up in the Premier League when West Ham desperately need a forward.