West Ham have plenty of work to do this summer and fans will wonder what might have happened if the Hammers had signed a senior striker during the January transfer window.
David Moyes’ side were attributed with an interest in a number of forwards during the mid-season window but in the end elected to sign Jordan Hugill from Preston, who has since played just a handful of minutes in the Premier League.
One man linked with a move to the London Stadium was Krasnodar’s Russian forward Fedor Smolov, who was reportedly a target in a loan switch with an obligation to purchase at the end of the campaign for £12m.
Smolov will likely lead the line for his nation as they host the World Cup this summer and the 28-year-old spoke to Russian outlet Maxim Online about the prospects of a transfer, where he said:
“I received offers in the last window, but it was a loan and right of redemption. Champions League clubs aren’t eager to take us. They don’t want to repeat same mistakes like Zhirkov, Arshavin or Bilyaletdinov.”
Smolov seems to have directly mentioned West Ham’s interest but is clearly angling for a move to a Champions League side, which he may improve his chances of securing with top performances in this summer’s tournament.
