West Ham United must make a late U-turn and submit a transfer offer for Blackburn Rovers forward Adam Armstrong, who Hammers chiefs reportedly admire.
What’s the word?
According to Irons insider ExWHUemployee, Armstrong is a player thought of highly by club chiefs at the London Stadium but an offer is not expected ahead of the EFL transfer window closing on Friday.
West Ham currently have a striker group consisting of Michail Antonio and Sebastien Haller, with boss David Moyes thus far favouring the former to start each Premier League game this term and the latter in the Carabao Cup.
Armstrong, nicknamed the ‘Angel of the North’, was Blackburn’s top-scorer last season with 17 goals across all competitions and has started the 2020/21 campaign strongly with six in six games.
The West Denton-born centre-forward opened his tally for the term with a strike against the recently-relegated AFC Bournemouth, before bagging a hat-trick at home to Wycombe Wanderers.
Armstrong joined Blackburn from Newcastle United's academy side in 2018 for what Rovers boss Tony Mowbray described as a “bargain” £1.75million (Chronicle), and would set any interested party back an eight-figure fee after Premier League interest earlier in the year.
He left St. James’ Park having played just 565 minutes in the Toon first-team, but has impressed Magpies boss Steve Bruce with how he’s taken his game to another level since leaving Tyneside.
“He's a great finisher the kid, great with both feet, he can finish,” Bruce said ahead of facing Blackburn in the Carabao Cup last month, via quotes by the Chronicle.
“We have the situation now where sometimes you have to leave the club to progress in your career. That happens up and down the country. What you want is to see people go and have a career and to be fair Adam Armstrong is one.”
GSB must pull a U-turn
With Moyes currently able to call on just two recognised senior strikers, David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady would be wise to pull a late U-turn and approach Blackburn over talks to lure Armstrong to the London Stadium.
The 23-year-old has proven to be a machine in front of the net since his move to Blackburn Rovers, and currently boasts a goal every 72 minutes in the Championship this season after turning home five in four games. He also averages 4.3 shots and plays 0.8 key balls a match, while making one successful dribble, wins 2.5 ground duels and earns one foul, per SofaScore.
His average 35.5 touches per game are also spread out across the opponent’s half, showing how Armstrong could become a versatile member of the Irons offence if signed before the window closes on Friday.
If not, GSB risk Moyes persisting with a limited offence if Antonio or Haller are forced to sit out any fixtures, with Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals the only others to have fired home in a Premier League game this term.
AND in other news, West Ham can sign a “gifted” long-term target before Friday’s deadline after a Premier League rival turned to alternative options.