It’s a time of change at West Ham, with the move to the Olympic stadium, heightened expectations around results, and the possibility of European football.
And with that comes increased publicity around the squad and the quality of future signings.
The potential to push on to the next level is reflected not just on the pitch, but in the conversations fans, and likely the management, are having about which players could come in.
Higher profile names are being linked to the club, and however realistic or unrealistic, there is real optimism, and cause to dream big.
It has widely been recognised that the club’s focus again needs to be on acquiring a striker.
This is nothing new, as a series of injuries and mis-firing Mido-esque experiments have hampered efforts to find a 20-goal a season player.
But far from scraping the barrel with Egyptian cast-offs and over-weight South Africans, names such as Michy Batshuayi and Romelu Lukaku are being linked.
And one player amongst all the paper talk who many would like to see arrive this summer, is Zlatan Ibrahimović.
There is little doubting the man’s footballing ability, and he would be an absolute draw card.
Concerns remain over his ego, and potential impact on a seemingly settled squad. His presence, wage demands, and general media attention, could be disruptive, which would be a headache for Slaven Bilic. But on the pitch, he would probably still be the main striker at any club, aside from maybe Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
He has been one of the best in the world for a decade, and his scoring record throughout has been exceptional. He has played in Spain, Italy, and France, as well as maintaining a remarkable consistency at international level.
With good supply to him, from the likes of Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini, he will always be a goal threat, and has the know-how to adapt to the Premier League quickly.
He sits in the category of world class, and if ever there was a new icon waiting in the wings to step in, it’s him.
Rumours have him demanding huge sums per-week, and the club obviously wouldn’t break the bank. But with no transfer fee required, there could be plenty in the pot to accommodate more exorbitant demands than in the past.
It would be an audacious move for the club, something unexpected in the footballing world. But there is a changing of the guard, and the challenge offered at West Ham could make him a hero.
