The £50m dream striker West Ham could seal deal for this month after dramatic transfer U-turn

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West Ham face a race against time to land their dream striker target

New West Ham United boss Graham Potter faces a agonising race against time to try and solve a familiar problem which has haunted many of his predecessors at the London Stadium…the curse of finding a top class centre forward, and breaking that particular spell could well prove to be the key to his chances of success in the capital as he looks to once again turn the club into European contenders.

Over the last decade, The Hammers have splashed out plenty of money on strikers without getting the desired results. The likes of Javier Hernandez, signed for £17m in 2017, Sebastian Haller, signed for £45m in 2019 and Gianluca Scamacca, signed for £30m in 2022 are all recent examples of strikers that arrived to great fanfare without ever living up to expectations.

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While based on his opening six months, the club’s latest stab Niclas Fullkrug currently looks set to follow a similar pattern to his predecessors after an underwhelming debut campaign that has so far been plagued by injury. The likes of Jarrod Bowen, a natural winger signed from Hull City in 2019 - and Michail Antonio, who initially joined as a wide player in 2015, have both shown signs of filling that void over the course of their career.

But with Bowen out injured with a foot problem and Antonio missing the rest of the season after a leg break, it has become increasingly evident that West Ham need another striker through the door if they are to rejuvenate their underwhelming campaign.

West Ham’s transfer story so far

Earlier this month, West Ham expressed a strong desire to back the new manager by making a bold £57m approach for long-term striker target Jhon Duran of Aston Villa.

However, as was the case over the summer, that bid was turned down by Unai Emery’s side, who have since accepted a £64m offer from Saudi side Al-Nassr in another Hammer striker blow.

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Andre Silva, who is currently out injured with a calf problem, is expected to arrive on loan from Bundesliga RB Leipzig this month after struggling for game time ahead of Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda at the Red Bull Arena, but there is still a growing sense that West Ham will look to target another striker before the window slams shut, with Danny Ings and Michail Antonio both expected to leave for free in the summer as they approach the final few months of their contract.

The £50m dream striker West Ham should target

It is often said that when one door closes another one opens, and that statement could be beautifully applied to West Ham’s transfer hopes as Al-Nassr’s pursuit of Jhon Duran leaves Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface in limbo heading into the final days of the transfer window. The Saudi Arabian side had agreed a fee of around £50m with Bayer Leverkusen for the services of the Nigerian international, but in a sudden U-turn have now decided to go solely for Duran instead.

Fabrizio Romano posted: “Bayer director Rolfes confirms Victor Boniface-Al Nassr deal is OFF. There have been talks, but we are happy that he will be training with us today. I assume that he will stay. He feels comfortable here, his attitude towards the club is unchanged.”

Boniface, aged 24, has been in prolific form since signing for Leverkusen in 2023 and has fired in a combined total of 29 goals in 49 appearances in the last 18 months. He was a part of a team which finished unbeaten in the Bundesliga last season - winning a league and cup double in the process while also reaching the final of the Europa League.

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He is a powerful striker, blessed with excellent strength, aerial ability and superb ball control which allows him to craft out chances for his team-mates at ease. Boniface is under contract until 2028, but has already shown that he could be tempted to leave Bayer Leverkusen after previously agreeing personal terms with Al-Nassr.

Bayer Leverkusen previously set a price tag of around £50m for Boniface, which is an amount within West Ham’s price range after previously bidding £57m for Duran in this window. The likes of Noah Okafor, Ricardo Pepi and Moise Kean have also been linked with a move to the London Stadium but based on his CV Boniface would be the best fit for the Hammers at this stage.

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