West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini is really struggling in his hunt to sign a new striker before the January transfer deadline, according to Claret and Hugh.
The Hammers news website report that Pellegrini is experiencing serious difficulties in finding a forward to bring in this month amid uncertainty over the future of Marko Arnautovic.
Claret and Hugh claim that Pellegrini’s top targets are proving unattainable this month, while the Chilean remains unsure about those further down the list.
A senior club source is quoted as saying: “It’s difficult because those we really want are not available until summer and the others are low on the list anyway.
“We will be working on it up to deadline day.”
OPINION
It is not surprising to hear that West Ham are struggling to find a new striker this month, with business in the January window always being harder to conduct than in the summer. Teams are very rarely willing to let players go at this point in the season, and prices are subsequently pushed up to astronomical levels. The Hammers have been linked with several names this month, but the main target looks to be Celta Vigo star Maxi Gomez, who would likely cost around £45million. That is a huge amount of money, and with it still not being clear whether Arnautovic is staying or leaving, it is hard for West Ham to commit to such a deal. Reports have actually suggested that the club are looking for a striker regardless of what happens with the Austria international, but if he stays then it is extremely hard to see them splash out big bucks on another forward.
