The departure of Javier Hernandez to Sevilla means West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has very few options to choose from upfront. If Sebastien Haller gets injured, there is only really Albian Ajeti to fill the void.
With that being the case, many fans have been calling on the club to sign a free agent to strengthen the frontline. The problem is that most of the best players have already been snapped up leaving the Hammers with slim pickings. Here are three strikers that could be considered:
1) Shinji Okazaki
The Japanese international has had his contract terminated with Malaga after the Spanish club decided they could not afford the forward’s wages.
A key player in Leicester’s title win in 2016, Okazaki is certainly a talented player with an incredibly high work rate. He is, though, hardly prolific in front of goal and would not be the best at leading the line by himself. The striker is best suited when playing two up top.
At 33 years of age, his best years are behind him, as well, but he could be an option if Pellegrini wants an impact player off the bench.
2) Jonathas
The Brazilian was Hannover’s record signing when he signed from Rubin Kazan for €9m two years ago, but the German club opted to terminate his contract at the end of last month.
Jonathas had a decent goalscoring record in La Liga with Elche and Real Sociedad but his biggest problem is injuries. He can’t be relied upon to stay fit, although he would provide a threat in front of goal.
3) Benjamin Moukandjo
The 30-year-old has 57 caps for Cameroon but has been without a club since leaving Chinese Super League side JS Suning in February earlier this year.
Moukandjo had a very good scoring record playing in China, having scored 14 in 28 appearances for Suning and Beijing Renhe. Before his move to the Far East, he had also performed well in Ligue One for Lorient.
In the 2016/17 season, the Cameroon international bagged 13 goals in 25 league games in France’s top flight.
Other than these three candidates, though, the options are few and far between. It’s highly likely that West Ham will hold fire on bringing in a free transfer signing and look to bring in a new striker in January instead. Pellegrini will be hoping Haller and Ajeti will stay fit over the coming months.
