According to The Mirror, West Ham United are set to reignite their interest in Bournemouth goal machine Dominic Solanke in January as they look to replace Michail Antonio.
West Ham United have made it no secret that they are plotting to find their next star striker as the club’s top-scoring veteran Michail Antonio is now 33 years old and out of contract in the summer of 2024.
Business did not run particularly smoothly in the summer following the departure of Declan Rice and it was reported that tensions between technical director Tim Steidten and manager David Moyes was the cause for a slow start to bringing in the much-needed talent.
Now with just a few weeks before the winter transfer window opens, there will be no time to waste or tensions to be getting in the way of the business that needs to be secured during the short four weeks that the club will have to acquire new additions.
The conversation around a potential new centre-forward has increased since the Hammers have started to struggle in the Premier League again in more recent weeks after a flying start and the signing of a striker seems to be the hottest topic.
The Mirror has now revealed that the Irons will go back in for Solanke this January after their formal approach to snap up the services of the striker were knocked back in the summer.
It is claimed that sources previously told of a bid worth up to £40m was rejected by the south coast club in July, however, with desperation mounting to refresh the role, West Ham will return to the table in early 2024 to strike a deal.
Will West Ham sign Dominic Solanke?
The former Liverpool frontman has found himself firmly in the spotlight this season as he has cemented himself as Bournemouth’s attacking talisman with six goals from 12 Premier League appearances so far.
Having said that, the Cherries find themselves in an unstable situation with potential to be dragged into the relegation battle at the bottom of the table if they don’t start performing more consistently – currently just three points from falling into the bottom three.
As a result, it seems highly unlikely that the relegation-threatened side would be keen to sacrifice their most influential player for any amount of money, especially if it was at the cost of losing their top-flight status.
The acquisition of a Premier League proven number nine to partner with tenacious winger Jarrod Bowen would likely be the ideal scenario for Moyes as he will want the goal-scorer to have an instant impact and meet the demands of the club both domestically and on the European stage.
Solanke has been the recipient of high praise over his career, with ex-Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil branding the Englishman a “dream” during an interview last season:
“He’s a dream as a centre-forward, I think sometimes his work can go unnoticed, because it’s difficult to score goals at this level.”
“He literally does everything he can, He’s probably the hardest-working centre-forward I’ve ever seen.”
With that being said, it will be interesting to see the price tag that Bournemouth slap on Solanke in the new year and whether West Ham will be happy to meet their expectations or even convince the club to part ways with the player.
