West Ham United fans are taking it upon themselves to solve the club’s striker woes in the transfer market.
Slaven Bilic‘s side have struggled for strikers let alone goals from their strikers after recruiting poorly last summer and seeing Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho once again spend more time on the treatment table than the pitch.
The Hammers are targeting four “game-changer” signings this summer but have only brought in Pablo Zabaleta on a free transfer so far.
Bilic is believed to be targeting two top quality strikers but has thus far failed to land any of his rumoured targets.
Javier Hernandez
Former Manchester United star Javier Hernandez is believed to be top of West Ham’s list but reports in the likes of The Mirror state the club are hesitating over his £140,000 per week wage demands.
Given Hernandez’s transfer fee is said to be a paltry £13.5m, Hammers fans feel the club should easily be able to make up the difference between his demands and the £120k Dimitri Payet used to earn.
And some fans have now taken it on themselves to make a point to the owners… by trying to crowd fund the difference.
One fan tweeted at David Gold saying: “If you won’t pay Hernandez’ wages, we’ll all chip in £1-10 per week for him.”
That came off the back of a suggestion from exasperated Hammes fans and Twitter user Shaney9ss who asked supporters to retweet if they were willing to pay at least £1 towards the Mexican star’s wages.
The idea has garnered the support of nearly 300 Hammers fans in a few days – meaning the crowdfunding could potentially bring in £3,000 a week already.
West Ham United owners David Gold and David Sullivan
It will be interesting to see if Gold responds to the idea, given it blurs then lines between a dig at the way they are running the club and showing the kind of entrepreneurial nous which made him and fellow co-owner such successful businessmen.
If it achieves nothing else at least the initiative leaves Hernandez in little doubt how much West Ham fans want him at the club.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
