The £13m bargain Euro 2024 striker who could transform West Ham's attacking threat

‘West Ham are massive,’ the fans always say, but imagine if they could bring in one of Germany’s top strikers and an absolute star of Euro 2024. The Hammers have been holding talks with Aston Villa for Jhon Durán, who started the summer by being linked to Chelsea before the Blues failed to agree on a fee - it doesn’t look like he’ll be turning up to the London Stadium either.

One of the reasons finding a striker to come in and compete with Michail Antonio has been so hard is that the Hammers are working with a tight budget but that is where Borussia Dortmund's Niclas Füllkrug comes in. The German striker is a proven goalscorer at the highest level, and his time at Werder Bremen also showed he’s not just a consistent goalscorer but one who scores important goals.

When looking at players, you consider their skill set but also their human traits: how they’ll act when the going gets tough and what they would do in difficult situations. Füllkrug has consistently been described as a great teammate.

Another reason that makes him an ideal signing is that he will come cheap, with just two years on his deal at the Signal Iduna Park, meaning Dortmund are willing to listen to reasonable offers. Last season, he scored three times in the Champions League as Dortmund reached the final at Wembley and lost to Real Madrid.

He’s proven at all levels, including the international level, and is just coming off scoring twice in five games for Germany at the Euros. At 31, he’d love to move to the Premier League and prove that he could still be a massive hit late in his career. At a time when teenagers are coming to the Premier League for astronomical fees, he could be a bargain for just £13million and will add so much to the West Ham team on and off the field.

West Ham have some really entertaining young forwards, like Mohammed Kudus, Kamarai Simon-Swyer, who have the potential to be world beaters. Having a striker like Füllkrug could be game-changing for them as he could help guide the young talents and provide an experienced head for their development, that would in the long term benefit the club. He’s also a striker highly regarded by his teammates, with former Chelsea defender and now Real Madrid man Antonio Rudiger praising him during the Euros: “He’s a beast and a great team player who gives everything for us, so we are happy to have him help us.”

In short, he would be an absolute steal for the price being quoted, and the fact that he is a goal scorer with 56 goals in 157 Bundesliga games shows that he has what it takes to help West Ham reach the next level under Julen Lopetegui.