West Ham remain 14th in the Premier League standings following their 1-1 draw versus Aston Villa and have just one win in their last five games in the English top flight. Graham Potter is playing a natural central forward and Lucas Paqueta, a player who has barely played as the number nine, was tasked with leading the line against Unai Emery’s outfit.
With Michail Antonio out injured and Niclas Fullkrug also struggling with fitness, it is high time that the Hammers sign a centre forward this month. According to El Nacional (h/t 90min), there seems to be some progress in that direction with West Ham having emerged as ‘frontrunners’ to land Marcus Rashford from Manchester United.
Rashford has found game time hard to come by under Ruben Amorim, especially since the turn of the year, and has opened the door to a new challenge. His weekly wage of £300,000 is beyond the means of several interested parties, so a short-term loan before the January window slams shut has emerged as an attractive option for West Ham.
Rashford loan would be an interesting prospect
Marcus Rashford’s situation at Manchester United is not showing any signs of improvement with the English international facing exclusion from their game against Fulham as well. West Ham could offer him a route away and potentially some regular minutes, and a move to the London Stadium is starting to look like an interesting proposition.
Though not naturally a striker, Rashford is capable of playing down the middle after being utilised in the role several times at United. With his signing, Graham Potter may also consider using a two-man attack with Jarrod Bowen playing next to Rashford, which would ensure that both forwards are well-supported by one another in the final third, while the team’s defensive shape also remains stable.
It remains to be seen what stages West Ham’s negotiations, if any, are at with Manchester United and whether there is indeed interest from the Hammers in a short-term deal for Rashford, or if they are more inclined towards making a permanent signing.
