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This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

West Ham United are keen to sign Mario Mandzukic from Juventus in the January transfer window, per The Daily Mirror.

What’s the word?

The Croatia international was heavily linked with a move away from the Serie A giants in the summer transfer window, with Manchester United reportedly interested.

No deal was struck, however, though the Hammers could give him the opportunity to move to England at the turn of the year, per the report.

Indeed, Manuel Pellegrini is short of options up front; Sebastian Haller and Albian Ajeti are their only two out-and-out forwards after Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll were all allowed to leave in the summer.

Mandzukic has yet to play for Juventus in Serie A this season.

Ageing striker

There’s not much sense to this.

Mandzukic might be a proven goalscorer – he has scored 44 goals for Juve in 162 appearances and also netted 53 for Dinamo Zagreb and 48 for Bayern Munich in 112 and 88 games respectively – but he is also ageing.

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He will turn 34 next year and one has to wonder whether or not it is worth the Hammers splashing out on a player who is edging nearer and nearer to retirement.

Their recruitment in the summer was smart, with the acquisitions of Sebastian Haller and Pablo Fornals adding excitement and star quality, plus the promise of improvement.

Bringing in Mandzukic would do the very opposite of that, even if it did plug a hole in the squad.

They should be looking elsewhere.

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