West Ham United will surely move for a new striker in the summer, having sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax during the January window.
The Hammers chose not to sign a striker in January, but with Michail Antonio breaking down through injury again, it’s clear that another striker must be signed this summer.
One of the names recently linked is Sasa Kalajdzic, with the Daily Mail claiming that West Ham want to sign the Stuttgart striker this summer.
Kalajdzic has been in sensational form of late, smashing nine goals in his last 10 games for Stuttgart as well as scoring three times in three World Cup qualifiers for Austria.
A gangly presence at 6ft 7in tall, Kalajdzic is a target man figure who can provide something different for West Ham – but their hopes are quickly fading.
Firstly, The Independent reported that West Ham want to try and pull off a loan-to-buy deal for Kalajdzic, something Stuttgart won’t be keen on if they have straight cash offers on the table.
Then, the Daily Mail noted that Tottenham Hotspur – West Ham’s bitter London rivals – are now looking to sign Kalajdzic as the man to support Harry Kane next season.
Kalajdzic’s goalscoring exploits mean he’s gone from a decent under-the-radar target for West Ham to an in-demand hitman whose value is rising by the week.
West Ham may well finish above Tottenham this season – in fact, it looks likely at this point – but many would still view Spurs as a better move for the long-term.
Beating Spurs to Kalajdzic won’t be easy, especially given the budget differences, and it would be wise for West Ham to have other targets in mind in case they do indeed miss out on Kalajdzic; they’ll just have to hope he doesn’t pitch up with a London rival at the very least.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
