Kurt Zouma's transfer to United Arab Emirates side Shabab Al-Ahli is off after the Frenchman failed his medical. Despite this, the West Ham United defender has been stripped of his captaincy.
Instead, Jarrod Bowen will don the armband for the 2024/24 campaign after several years of excellence as David Moyes' attacking talisman.
1.
Jarrod Bowen
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20
2.
Mohammed Kudus
45
14
3.
Tomas Soucek
52
10
4.
Lucas Paqueta
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8
5.
Michail Antonio
32
7
5.
James Ward-Prowse
51
7
The England international scored 20 goals across all competitions last season and played as centre-forward on an ad hoc basis but Niclas Fullkrug, aged 31, has signed from Borussia Dortmund in a £27m transfer.
He's a solid striker but Julen Lopetegui is keen to finish his frontline off with a flourish, as another striker is reportedly on the radar.
West Ham transfer news
According to il Romanista over in Italy, West Ham are still in for AS Roma's Tammy Abraham, who is expected to leave the Serie A club this summer.
The Irons looked to have cooled their interest after signing Fullkrug, but having failed to sign Aston Villa maverick Jhon Duran, might look to ensure they have sufficient depth at the spearhead.
Abraham has been a prolific presence in Italy but was wrecked by a knee injury last term, only posting one goal and one assist apiece, starting just twice.
Still, the former Chelsea star has proved himself across different levels and could be a real treat at the London Stadium – for just €25m (£21m), this could prove to be a bargain for United technical director Tim Steidten.
Why West Ham want Tammy Abraham
But wait, Fullkrug scored 16 goals and assisted ten more for Dortmund last season, transferring his form onto the international stage and starring for Germany at Euro 2024.
There's no doubting Fullkrug's potency, but Michail Antonio has entered the late stage of his career and the German's no spring chicken either.
Abraham could be brought in to ensure the Hammers have enough firepower to provide Lopetegui with a constant stream of goals without pulling Bowen away from his favoured right flank.
Once described as a "goal machine" by former coach Stephen Elliott, Abraham has clinched 48 goal contributions across 107 fixtures for Roma since signing from Chelsea for £34m in 2021.
His time in west London established him as a reliable strike threat in the Premier League, bagging 15 goals from just 25 top-flight starts in 2019/20 and winning the Champions League the year after, which shows that he has what it takes to score an eye-catching number of goals in England.
His character and deceptive footwork highlight qualities that go beyond that of a mere marksman, and this could be invaluable for the Hammers when seeking out sequences to score and create, as he can be involved in the build-up whilst also being the player looking to finish off moves in front of goal.
Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini even claimed that he could become "one of the best in the world" before the ACL injury that ravaged his past year of football, and West Ham should now follow that up and offer him a place to restore his pedigree.
Imagine him & Jarrod Bowen
Abraham's indeed more than just a goalscorer, and his link-up play and quality as a dynamic focal point might just ensure that Bowen continues his lasting purple patch in the final third.
Arriving from Hull City in the Championship for about £22m in January 2020, Bowen was the linchpin of Moyes' success in east London, crowning the Scotsman's era with the winning goal in the Conference League final, winning a piece of European silverware.
The 27-year-old has scored 60 goals and added 39 assists across 202 fixtures and was dubbed "unplayable" by Brentford boss Thomas Frank last season after scoring a hat-trick against his outfit in the Premier League.
All told, he's pretty darn good. As with Fullkrug, there's no disputing that Bowen could do a job at No. 9 and do it with aplomb, but he's a winger by trade and finds success through his playmaking and hard-working approach, something that a striker like Abraham would benefit from.
The newly-appointed Irons captain ranks among the top 16% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 13% for tackles and blocks per 90, as per FBref, which shows that he is a hard-working attacker who provides great quality in and out of possession.
Centre-forward
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9
4
Right winger
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11
6
He also created 12 big chances in the top flight last term and has a fine cross on him, suggesting that his football could be best placed away from the centre of the frontline, especially when considering his goalscoring statistics last year by position (see above).
It's clear that his versatility is crucial for West Ham, and of course, he'll likely find himself up front at some point over the coming year, but Bowen could be positively unplayable if partnered with a 'goal machine' in Abraham who could make up a wonderful, multi-faceted partnership.
The rangy Roma man is a natural-born goalscorer, has artful movements that surprise a few first-time observers, and an imposing, physical presence that could mirror the football of Fullkrug while bringing something a bit different to the table.
Whether West Ham will complete the deal after forking out £120m plus already remains to be seen, but if the financials add up, this could prove to be an excellent signing that would add a dimension to make all the difference in the fight for European football and perhaps a shot at silverware too.
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