Journalist Paul Brown has revealed that West Ham are still trying to bring in a player to act as cover for Michail Antonio.

The Hammers were linked with a number of strikers in the summer, but did not manage to add any to their ranks.

Salah? Rice? James? Vote for your Premier League POTM here

What is West Ham's forward situation?

As things stand, Antonio, who Transfermarkt value at £10.8m, is the side's undisputed first-choice attacker. The 31-year-old appears to be getting better with age, having scored 10 league goals in each of his last two full campaigns.

This season, he has already found the net six times to help David Moyes' men move into the top four. 

However, the team's options for the lone striker role after Antonio are limited. With this in mind, West Ham attempted to add someone to their squad in the most recent transfer window, as they were rumoured to be interested in Arsenal duo Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.

They were unable to land either forward, though.

GIVEMESPORT GIveaway

ENTER GIVEAWAY

What has Brown said about the issue?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown claimed that the Irons are on the lookout for an understudy for Antonio, but admitted that it is not easy to convince someone to sign when they know that they are unlikely to be a regular starter.

He said: “They’re trying to find someone who’s happy being a back-up, who can sub a few minutes every game, occasionally start one, put a little more pressure on Michail Antonio, but obviously not be the number one. And that’s quite a hard role to fulfil.”

Sancho SCREAMER seals it! Full reaction to Villarreal 0-2 Man Utd on The Football Terrace...

How important is it for West Ham to bring in a centre forward in January?

Right now, there is a lot of pressure on Antonio to stay fit and deliver the goods on a weekly basis. 

Yet he has also missed a few games this season, with Moyes doing his best to keep an eye on the Jamaican's workload.

Jarrod Bowen has often been the man to come in and replace Antonio up front, and while he is naturally a winger, he has done a solid job.

This suggests that it would not be a disaster if West Ham do not sign a striker in January. In an ideal world, they would find a player who is happy to be used sparingly, but as Brown alluded to, that is unlikely.

Instead, they may have to rely on the likes of Bowen and Andriy Yarmolenko playing in the 'false nine' role, and hope that this can see them through to the end of the season.

Read More - January Transfer Window 2022: When does it open, when does it close and which players are going to move?