In one of their most lucrative outgoing deals yet, the Hammers offloaded Mohammed Kudus a few weeks ago, with the talented forward switching East London for North London.
Now that the Ghanaian international is a Spurs player, Graham Potter and the West Ham hierarchy are tasked with filling a rather chunky attacking hole.
Here are five players that could potentially fill the boots of Mohammed Kudus:
Ademola Lookman
Formerly a Premier League player with Everton and Fulham, Ademola Lookman has taken his game to the next level since arriving in Serie A a couple of years ago, so much so that top-flight English clubs of West Ham’s ilk should be considering a move for the winger/forward.
In all competitions last season, Lookman, who is now 26, delivered 26 goals and assists, averaging 0.82 direct goal contributions per 90 minutes. During the 2023/24 campaign, that average stood at 0.84.
Interestingly, last season, only two players in all of Serie A contributed more goals and assists than Ademola Lookman, who also ranked as the fourth-best player in the league for goals per 90 minutes, as well as the second-best for expected assisted goals.
Dan Ndoye
Less well known to Premier League fans is Dan Ndoye, though lovers of the game should remember the winger for his standout performances for Switzerland at EURO 2024, which was something of a turning point tournament for the 24-year-old.
Currently playing his trade in Serie A with Bologna, Ndoye, who, like Kudus, is a robust and powerful operator capable of driving his team up the pitch, comes off the back of a career-best campaign, during which he made 15 direct goal contributions, averaging 0.45 goals and assists per 90 minutes.
Ndoye’s offensive numbers aren’t quite as eye-catching as Lookman’s, sure, but he’ll offer much more in terms of physicality and defensive nous, while he’ll likely be easier to acquire too.
Gustavo Hamer
Newly promoted Sheffield United will likely be looking to keep hold of their star player Gustavo Hamer, but if the Hammers come knocking, they may struggle to do that.
The 27-year-old Dutch player, who can operate in midfield or as a number ten, scored and assisted 16 goals in the Championship last season, while he has Premier League experience too.
In a better team, Hamer has performed as if he could easily take his game to the next level, while he’s likely a more cost-effective option for Graham Potter’s men.
Kenan Yildiz
If Potter prefers to go down the younger route, then Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz is absolutely worth considering.
At just 19, Yildiz was a key player for Turkey at the European Championships last season.
At the same time, he just had a fine season in Serie A, delivering 11 goals and assists, ranking as Juventus’ second-best performer in terms of direct goal contributions, averaging 0.41 per 90 minutes.
Yildiz is tricky, direct and can operate in a number of forward positions, much like Kudus, while at 19, he’s got loads of room for improvement.
The Turkish winger is a hit prospect, sure, but the pull of the Premier League is now so strong that a switch from the Italian giants to West Ham is far from out of the question.
Harvey Elliott
In terms of ready-made replacements with recent Premier League experience in the locker, Harvey Elliott may be the best option, and given their recent activity, Liverpool may be open to offers for the young English attacker.
For Elliott, who recently played a starring role as England U21’s achieved European glory, the time to seek regular Premier League football is now.
The 21-year-old did often feature for the Reds last season, but he was mainly used as a substitute, making just six starts in all competitions, and there’s only so long that a player of his quality will be happy to play a bit-part role.
Enter West Ham.
After all, we’re talking about a versatile forward who seemingly has all the tools to be a big success, a player who last season averaged 0.86 goals and assists per 90 minutes.
Fancy placing a bet on any of these to make the move to West Ham? Make sure you check out the full rundown of the best bookmakers on FIRST.com.
