West Ham face a daunting challenge this summer as Slaven Bilic looks to improve his ranks for the forthcoming Premier League season, with the Hammers intent on fighting back following their disappointing debut campaign at the London Stadium.

The Hammers have already made early moves in the market to bring Pablo Zabaleta to the club on a free transfer from Manchester City, which significantly improves their defensive ranks, and Bilic’s side are now intent on strengthening their forward options.

A number of top-class players, including Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi and Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, have been linked with a move to East London this summer and the Hammers are likely to sign more than one forward.

As well as an established name, the Hammers are also keen to add a talented youngster to their squad and Sky Sports states West Ham are the favourites to sign Nigerian striker Henry Onyekuru from Belgian outfit KAS Eupen.

Onyekuru has attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and Swansea City following a fantastic campaign on the continent, where he finished top-scorer in Belgium’s Pro League with 25 goals to his name- which is higher than Romelu Lukaku and Batshuayi both managed during their best seasons in Belgian.

The striker is available for just £7.8m, which would match the release-clause in his contract, and Onyekuru’s entourage are confident he’ll be plying his trade in the Premier League next season- and he could be an exciting addition for West Ham.

Should Batshuayi or Iheanacho arrive, it’s likely they’ll be the first-choice for a striking role at the London Stadium but Onyekuru can push for opportunities and may prove to be a brilliant alternative for Slaven Bilic’s side.

With the experience of Andy Carroll also within the squad, the Hammers could develop Onyekuru into a leading Premier League striker and he presents plenty of sell-on value for West Ham as he’s just 20-years-old.

Whilst it may be difficult to compete with the likes of Arsenal, the first-team opportunities Onyekuru would be offered at West Ham would be significantly higher than what he’d capture across London- especially with the Gunners eyeing top-class strikers to improve their ranks.

Onyekuru may not be the stand-out name West Ham fans are crying out for but he could provide a huge bargain for the Hammers, which is difficult to come by in modern football, and he’d be a major coup for Slaven Bilic’s side.