West Ham United sporting director Tim Steidten inexplicably decided to pay £27 million to Borussia Dortmund for Niclas Fullkrug this summer.
The decision has come back to bite the club. The 31-year-old has barely been fit this season, leaving Michail Antonio as the only pure centre-forward option on the roster.
Antonio has scored just once in the Premier League this term. The Hammers need a younger and more prolific option to lead the line and score decisive goals.
There are not many exciting options in the market that fit the Hammers’ budget and needs, but there’s an intriguing player who could give West Ham’s attack a new edge – Darwin Nunez.
Despite his inconsistent form, the Liverpool forward possesses the raw talent and goalscoring ability to take the Hammers’ attack to a new level.
Many people will call the Uruguayan a €100 million bust, but the truth is he took a career misstep by joining the Merseysiders.
There was massive room for improvement in his game, and he should never have moved to a club of that stature so soon from Benfica.
He was nowhere worth the money Liverpool paid for him. The Reds are notably tight-fisted with their transfer funds, and the Nunez deal is one of the few times they went overboard.
That being said, there are so many positive signs in his game that will possibly translate well in a different environment.
Nunez never stops running the channels. The former Almeria man charges down every ball and makes life difficult for defenders, a massive asset in today’s game.
Micah Richards hailed him as an exceptional forward, claiming he would not like to face him because of his ferociousness.
West Ham got a first-hand glimpse of his energy in the 5-1 Carabao Cup loss earlier this season. The athletic forward was a constant menace for the defenders on and off the ball.
Nunez never stopped running and never gave them breathing space. He didn’t get on the scoresheet, but his work up top set the tone for Liverpool.
His finishing has been horrendous over the past two years. He has missed 47 big chances, but that aspect of his game can improve with work.
Despite missing numerous big chances last term, Nunez still recorded six winning goals for the club, more than talisman Mohamed Salah.
After his stunning winner against Nottingham Forest in March, Luis Suarez labelled his countryman one of the best strikers in the world today.
He has scored twice and missed just one big chance this term. If he had more opportunities in the starting XI, his conversion rate would naturally increase.
Nunez is also an underrated creator. He is in the 86th percentile for expected assists per game (0.20) while being an efficient ball-carrying weapon (2.32).
He has found game time hard to come by under Arne Slot and will be looking for a place where he can be first-choice again. West Ham can provide him with the perfect stomping ground.
A loan in the January winter window could allow the Hammers to test how he would fit in before throwing any money at Liverpool to sign him permanently.
West Hame once took a big-money flop off Liverpool’s hands, and he became a popular figure, bagging 34 goals and 16 assists in 142 appearances.
Nunez can score far more than Andy Caroll and lead the Hammers’ attack for years alongside Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville.
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