West Ham could replace PSG striker Hugo Ekitike again in January after developing loan
So far this season West Ham United haven’t looked like a side missing a striker, sitting comfortably in the Champions League places having yet to lose a single game.
While Jarrod Bowen has been in fine goal-scoring form and Michail Antonio has led the line like a man reborn, for most of the summer David Moyes was keen to add to his striking options having sold Gianluca Scamacca to Atlanta.
One name that was repeatedly linked with making the switch to the London Stadium was Paris Saint Germain striker Hugo Ekitike, with the Hammers reportedly reviving talks late in the window to sign the forward [Simon Jones, 30 August].
But despite interest from the Hammers and Crystal Palace in signing the 21-year-old on loan, PSG instead opted to keep the striker in Paris as they were only interested in selling him this summer [Fabrice Hawkins, 1 September].
But Luis Enrique’s side have already changed their mind in the weeks following the closure of the transfer window with French publication L’Equipe reporting on Wednesday (13 September) that the French giants will now be willing to let the forward leave on loan in January.
The Hammers didn’t manage to find a striker in the closing hours of the transfer window despite being linked with several potential targets and Moyes has been left with only Antonio and Danny Ings as his senior options between now and the January transfer window.
Whether or not West Ham would be keen to once again enter the race to sign Ekitike in January remains to be seen, but they were very keen to bring him to East London in the summer and should they fail to discover another forward there is seemingly no reason for them to not reignite their interest.
Bowen may be providing the goals in the early stages of the season to paper over the lack of a genuine goalscorer in Moyes’ ranks, but previously he has been a player that has struggled for consistency and instead shone in flashes.
Should he experience a dip in form it is hard to see where the goals will come from at the London Stadium and the report of Ekitike’s future availability may well have perked Moyes’ interest.
Whether or not the Hammers would win the race for his signature could be a potential issue, however, as it did appear as though the forward was closer to making the switch to Palace on deadline day, rather than West Ham.
This could be one to keep an eye on as we get closer to the January window.