West Ham will “take some weeks” to decide who their main striker target for the January transfer window will be, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Hammers were rebuffed by Manchester United after making an enquiry for Joshua Zirkzee, and responding to a question in his GiveMeSport newsletter about the state of negotiations, Romano replied:

“They asked for Zirkzee, but there is no green light from Manchester United at this stage. There are more options on the table from the UK and from abroad. West Ham will take some weeks before deciding.”

It does appear as if head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has yet to settle on who he wants to lead the line for West Ham in the second half of the season.

Who has been linked with a move to the London Stadium?

In addition to Zirkzee, the Irons have been credited with an interest in Real Madrid’s Endrick, but there is a good chance that the Brazilian will join Lyon on loan instead.

Other strikers, such as Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus, Cruzeiro’s Kaio Jorge, Club Brugge’s Romeo Vermant, and Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi, have been mentioned as other potential targets. A lot will depend on how much the club is willing to spend to strengthen their options up front.

Who else will West Ham try to buy?

The defence has been an absolute disaster this season, with no other team in the Premier League having conceded more goals.

Centre-backs Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo have proven to be very poor signings, while Konstantinos Mavropanos is currently on the treatment table. Reinforcing that position is, therefore, a priority. At the moment, Lille’s Alexsandro is said to be the top candidate, but other names may also emerge over the coming days and weeks.

Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here