West Ham are set to make fresh approach for Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke.
Bournemouth rejected a £40million bid for the striker in the summer transfer window. Dominic Solanke, 26, has scored six goals in 12 Premier League appearances for the Cherries so far this season, including a crucial brace in the 2-0 win over Newcastle United at home before the November international break.
David Moyes has been a long-term admirer of the one-cap England international, and following his solid start to the 2023/24 season is reportedly ready to reignite interest in him in the January transfer window. Bournemouth, however, have little interest in losing their talisman Solanke as they continue to battle against relegation under Andoni Iraola.
Solanke also has a long-term contract at the Vitality Stadium, meaning the south coast side are clearly under no pressure to sell. And it would take a much bigger bid for Bournemouth than West Ham’s £40million bid in the summer transfer window to even consider selling the 26-year-old.
David Moyes eyeing a striker in January
Michail Antonio and Danny Ings are West Ham’s only recognised strikers, and the pair have scored just two goals between them since the start of the 2023/24 campaign. Antonio has struggled for consistency so far this season, completing 90 minutes just once, while Ings has featured exclusively as a substitute in the Premier League.
With nine strikes in all competitions, Jarrod Bowen has been able to carry West Ham’s attacking threat all by himself at times, but David Moyes is clearly keen to take some burden off his shoulders by adding another striker to his squad. In addition, the Scotsman is keen to add another body up front due to the club’s failure to replace Gianluca Scamacca following his return to Italy with Atalanta.
There are chances of Danny Ings also departing in January if a suitable offer arrives, providing a replacement can be signed on time. Dominic Solanke appears to be at the top of the striker’s wishlist but if the Hammers cannot persuade Bournemouth to sell, they will look at other targets. Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike and RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner are among the east London club’s targets.
How far West Ham will go in their pursuit of Solanke in 2024 remains to be seen. For now, summer signing Mohammed Kudus, who has injected new vigour and spark into West Ham’s attack, could be used through the middle in the upcoming games to improve the productivity in front of goal.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
