David Sullivan and Co at the London Stadium may rue missing out on a deal for West Ham United to sign now Newcastle striker Callum Wilson in the last transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to ExWHUemployee, the Irons have made several moves to sign Wilson previously, including in the aftermath of AFC Bournemouth’s relegation from the Premier League last season, as per Sky Sports.

However, Wilson joined Steve Bruce’s St. James’ Park natives in a £20m move and took his tally for the term to 10 in 19 top-flight games, after scoring a match-winning brace against Everton on Saturday.

The 28-year-old was widely linked with a move away from the south coast after the Cherries’ five-year stay in the Premier League came to an end last summer, with West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur said to have been keen to rival Newcastle for the England international.

Wilson now has 51 career top-flight goals to his name following a double at Goodison Park this weekend, and is on course for his best single-season return having only once boasted a double-digit tally for Bournemouth when scoring 14 in 30 games during the 2018/19 term.

West Ham failed to sign a striker in the summer market and are now again on the hunt for centre-forward reinforcements after selling Sebastien Haller to AFC Ajax, with RB Leipzig’s Hwang Hee-Chan considered to be the Irons’ last hope ahead of Monday’s deadline.

GSB may rue failed Wilson swoop

Wilson has been widely praised since his move to Newcastle last summer, with the striker settling into life on Tyneside like a duck to water with a career-best top-flight goals-to-games record of 0.52 thus far.

And that’s despite often being starved off service at St. James’ Park, to such a degree that it sparked Toon icon Malcom Macdonald to claim “it makes me want to cry” while waxing lyrical over the “excellent footballer and finisher” when speaking with The Sun.

Former Republic of Ireland midfielder Matt Holland has also only been able to sing Wilson’s praises, telling talkSPORT via quotes by The World News: “Goals give you a chance of winning games and Callum Wilson has been one of the best signings in the Premier League this season.

“He offers them something they haven't had for a long time. He is a threat in behind, he is a constant menace, he is a goalscorer and he has made such a difference to that Newcastle team.”

Few players have scored more often in the league this season than Wilson, who now boasts by far the highest contribution rate of any player in the division having scored 48% of Newcastle’s 21 goals to date.

Midfielder Tomas Soucek is presently West Ham’s top-scorer with seven of their 30 strikes ahead of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen (5), before a drop off to Angelo Ogbonna and Pablo Fornals who boast two each ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Liverpool.

Bowen (37) and Soucek (35) also lead the way in east London for total shots taken, on par with Wilson (36) despite the forward playing 110 fewer minutes than the Irons’ Czech titan.

Needless to say, then, that Wilson would have been able to offer David Moyes a lot had Sullivan and the Irons board been able to strike a deal with Bournemouth. They would also likely not be leaving it late to potentially sign a striker this month after Haller's exit.

AND in other news, West Ham eye late loan for teen gem who “makes the game look easy”...