West Ham face a considerable challenge to improve their forward options this summer and the failings in the market from a year ago, as well as the loss of Dimitri Payet in January, have seen the club learn some very important lessons.

The Hammers are focusing on securing signings internally from the Premier League this window after the failings 12 months ago and will want players dedicated to the project in East London, after seeing star-man Payet jump ship.

Co-chairman David Gold has confirmed that West Ham are eyeing two new strikers ahead of the new season, where a wealth of names have been mentioned, but a move for Burnley striker Andre Gray could be very appealing.

The former Luton Town man, who moved to Burnley two-years ago from Brentford and helped the Clarets seal a return to the Premier League, has only one-year remaining on his contract at Turf Moor and has refused to put pen-to-paper.

Now 26, Gray could be eyeing the next step in his career and a move to West Ham could be ideal- as he’d have the opportunity of fighting for European football and could potentially start knocking on the door of Gareth Southgate’s England set-up.

Gray has proven his goalscoring prowess throughout the divisions within English football and a step-up to join the Hammers could be ideal, especially as he’d be the perfect partner to compensate either a more experienced option or a younger name.

The Hammers have been linked with the likes of Olivier Giroud and Javier Hernandez, as well as eyeing younger options like Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Chelsea misfit Michy Batshuayi- although the latter duo would probably treat West Ham as a stepping stone.

Gray would know he’s a long way off earning a move to a top-six club and West Ham could provide the summit for his career, whilst signing a striker like Giroud, who has a lot to prove ahead of a World Cup year, could work perfectly.

Whilst Gray isn’t the sort of striker who’d strike fear into the heart of the Premier League’s finest defences, he’s an old-fashioned forward who knows where the goal is and pays his fee by finding the back of the net- which is exactly what West Ham need.

With the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio providing support, Gray could become a deadly striker at West Ham and the fact he has just a year remaining on his contract with Lancashire outfit Burnley means he could be available at a cut-price.