After a disappointing maiden campaign at the London Stadium, West Ham are under intense pressure this summer to significantly improve their side towards fighting for a top-six spot next season and securing a place in the Europa League.

The departure of Dimitri Payet to Marseille in January hit the Hammers hard and they’ve lacked a top-class attacker since, with their striking contingent regularly plagued by injuries and struggling to excel- as shown by the absence of recognised forwards as their top-scorers.

West Ham’s highest scorers this season have been Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini, two players who’ll be crucial next term, but the Hammers need to move on the market to secure top-class additions to their forward ranks.

New signings in attack will help compliment Antonio and Lanzini, although the addition of just one striker is unlikely to be enough to help Slaven Bilic’s side excel, but the ideal candidate to be drafted in is Sunderland’s veteran Jermain Defoe.

The England international has impressed for David Moyes’ relegated outfit this season, scoring 15 goals in the Premier League- more than any player currently in West Ham’s ranks has managed to secure themselves this term.

Defoe also scored in his return to the England set-up against Lithuania and has an outside chance of making the Three Lions squad for the World Cup in Russia next year, despite the fact he will be 35 by the time a ball is kicked in the tournament.

Due to his age, Defoe can’t be seen as a long-term solution to West Ham’s attacking woes but, available on a free transfer this summer, he’d certainly be a worthwhile addition and he’d ease the pressure on other strikers in the squad- especially if the Hammers secure a young forward.

Defoe is looking to capitalise on his free-agent status by demanding £100k-a-week and a £6m signing bonus, according to The Evening Standard, and West Ham can’t afford to pinch pennies in a deal- as the Hammers can’t put a price on goals given their form this season.

The return that Defoe would provide would easily compensate the Hammers for the fee they’d spend on securing the veteran’s signature and the player is well-adversed to life with the East London side, having started his career with the Hammers 18 years ago.

A return to West Ham would be a fitting and romantic finale to Defoe’s career, although he could continue playing beyond his days at the London Stadium, and it would signal a new era in the club’s history- potentially kicking off a key period.

As an established striker with a vast experience of the Premier League, Defoe would be the ideal recruit for the Hammers- but he can’t be the only striker signed by Slaven Bilic’s side this summer.