West Ham United

West Ham United

Premier League • England

Moyes in panic mode as West Ham move for top striker target collapses; two alternatives named

David Moyes gesturing on the touchline

David Moyes gesturing on the touchline during Man Utd v West Ham

West Ham are scrambling to sign a new striker before the transfer window closes and reports suggest that a deal for Corinthians star Yuri Alberto is now off. 

David Moyes has had to rely on Michail Antonio so far this season, who has scored two goals in three Premier League starts so far for the Hammers.

Despite Antonio’s good form, Moyes still wants to sign another striker after selling Gianluca Scamacca to Atalanta earlier this month.

As revealed by TEAMtalk, West Ham made Alberto their primary target. However, despite technical director Tim Steidten travelling to Brazil for talks, the Daily Mail claims the move has collapsed.

The report states that Stiedten has now returned to London, and is now working on deals for other striker targets.

There are also rumours that Danny Ings could leave West Ham before the window closes, with Everton among several clubs interested in the experienced striker.

That only increases the need for West Ham to sign a new centre-forward, so they are in for a frantic couple of days.

READ MORE: Stunning West Ham hijack underway, with Arsenal star targeted and rival Prem move facing ruin

West Ham change tack after Alberto blow

As per the Daily Mail’s reportthe two names being discussed by West Ham as alternatives to Alberto are Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri and Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike.

En-Nesyri has been linked with a move to West Ham for some time and has plenty of admirers within the club. The Morocco international scored 18 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions last season.

En-Nesyri also has plenty of experience in the Europa League – something that could be valuable for the Hammers this season. He has won the competition twice with Sevilla.

The other name on Moyes’ striker shortlist is Ekitike. The 21-year-old signed for PSG last summer and at the time, was considered to be one of the top young talents in France.

However, he has struggled for consistent minutes at the Parc des Princes. He has so far made 33 appearances across all competitions for PSG, scoring four goals and making four assists. This is in contrast to his time with former club Reims, where he scored 11 in 28 outings.

A move to West Ham could be exactly what he needs to get his career back on track, so it will be interesting to see if the London club make a concrete bid for him, or En-Nesyri, in the next 24 hours.

READ MORE: Liverpool tipped to wreck planned West Ham transfer with Klopp alerted to £32.7m midfield powerhouse branded perfect by Dutch icon