West Ham did not make a single official bid to sign a striker this summer, according to journalist Paul Brown.
What did Brown say about West Ham's transfer policy?
The Hammers had a busy end to the recent transfer window, signing Kurt Zouma, Nikola Vlasic and Alex Kral in the final week of August. However, they did not manage to add a striker to their squad.
Brown has revealed that they did hold talks for a number of players to cover this role, but did not put any offers on the table throughout the summer.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “They made quite a lot of bids last season for strikers, and none of them came off. I don’t think they actually really bid for a striker properly this time around. I think there were negotiations for quite a few. But they decided ultimately to keep their powder dry because Moyes wanted the money spent in other areas first.”
Who could they have signed?
A host of strikers got their moves to Premier League clubs this summer. Danny Ings completed his switch from Southampton to Aston Villa, Adam Armstrong replaced the England international at St Mary's, and Odsonne Edouard traded Glasgow for London as he left Celtic to join Crystal Palace.
All three of these forwards went to top-flight sides who will not be playing in Europe this season, whereas West Ham are. With this in mind, the Irons may feel that they could have got one of these players if they'd been more proactive in the transfer market.
Liverpool 3-2 AC Milan. Check out all the reaction to UCL thriller on The Football Terrace!
Will West Ham regret not pushing more to sign a striker this summer?
Possibly.
By not bringing in a striker, West Ham have left themselves with just one recognised centre-forward in Michail Antonio. The 31-year-old is arguably in the form of his life after netting four goals in the Premier League already this season, but the club are still asking a lot from him to lead the line for them throughout the campaign.
Given that they will be competing domestically and in Europe this term, West Ham do look short of options up top, and Moyes may regret not making more of an effort to sign someone to support Antonio.
The side's fixture list, particularly between now and Christmas when the Europa League is in full flow, looks daunting, and it may be difficult for West Ham to do themselves justice on all fronts with only one senior striker in their ranks.