West Ham open talks with Ajax forward Steven Bergwijn

West Ham United are eyeing a move for Ajax forward Steven Bergwijn.

The Hammers have hit arguably their season’s best form of late, picking up 10 points from a possible 12 points in the Premier League which includes victories over Manchester United and Arsenal. They have also reached the last 32 of the Europa League.

Keeping the momentum up may prove difficult, however, especially with key players like Mohamed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta unavailable for selection for some time. Kudus has teamed up with Ghana for the AFCON while Paqueta is sidelined with a thigh injury. In addition, the European fixtures will undoubtedly affect David Moyes’ squad as the season progresses.

To that end, West Ham are looking at potential attacking reinforcements and have set their eyes on Steven Bergwijn. The Irons have reportedly held preliminary talks with the Ajax player’s representatives over a potential move to the London Stadium.

Steven Bergwijn linked with a return to the Premier League

Steven Bergwijn, 26, had an underwhelming spell with Tottenham Hotspur following a £27million move from PSV Eindhoven in January 2020. Despite starting strongly, he was a bit-part player for much of the latter half of his spell in north London, recording just eight goals and 10 assists in 83 appearances for Spurs.

This prompted a move back to the Netherlands with Ajax in the summer of 2022 where Bergwijn has fared much better, bagging 12 goals and five assists in 32 league outings last term before being appointed the club’s skipper at the start of the 2023/24 campaign. The Dutchman has registered seven goals and two assists in 13 league appearances in an otherwise poor campaign for Ajax.

With Ajax currently sitting a disappointing fifth in the Eredivisie—23 points adrift of league leaders PSV, it is understood Bergwijn is desperate for a return to the Premier League this month. Ajax are unlikely to sanction a loan deal with an obligation to buy due to the 26-year-old being the club captain.

So, West Ham have to splash the cash if they are to sign the Netherlands international. However, the East London club must first raise funds having spent heavily in the summer transfer window, so it is unclear how much is left in the transfer kitty for David Moyes to spend now. They have already shipped out versatile defender Thilo Kehrer on loan to AS Monaco for the remainder of the campaign. At the same time, Nayef Aguerd is linked with an exit to Saudi Arabia and Italy of late.

If the Hammers can offload a couple of players and create space in the squad, a move for Bergwijn should happen. The Dutchman is a composed finisher in front of goal, while his pace, energy and directness would make him a smart fit for Moyes’ counter-attacking system at West Ham.