West Ham United are being linked with a January transfer window raid on Juventus with striker Mario Mandzukic the target. All of a sudden the Hammers have been left short of strikers, and with the transfer window now closed, they will have to wait until the new year before they can bring anybody in.
The decision to let Javier Hernandez join La Liga side Sevilla just before the closure of the European transfer deadline has come back to bite them as Michail Antonio has now been ruled out for four months through injury.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini was left in an awkward situation as Hernandez would have been able to leave on a free transfer in 12 months, while the player is also said to have been pushing for a move away.
Whatever the reason for his departure, West Ham have now been left short and will be praying that Sebastien Haller and Albien Ajeti can both stay fit over the next four months, or they will be in trouble.
Marko Arnautovic, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll have also left the London Stadium since the end of last season and the Hammers are now looking light in attack. They may not be able to sign players right now, but there is nothing stopping them getting deals lined up and reports are rife that Mandzucic is a target.
The Croatian may be 33, but he has still got a couple of seasons left in him and could be a shrewd signings for the Hammers if they can pull it off. He has scored goals at the very highest level including World Cup semi-finals and would add more quality and experience to the Hammers frontline.
Juventus were willing to let the player go before the European deadline, and it comes as something of a surprise that a move did not get sorted out. There had been talk of a return to his former club Bayern Munich, but that failed to materialise and he remains at the Allianz Stadium for now.
Manchester United were also linked before the English window closed. Mandzukic would no doubt jump at the chance to play Premier League football before hanging up his boots and West Ham could offer him that chance.
Speculation suggests West Ham will look to take him on loan initially with a view to a permanent deal at the end of the season.
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