At 11pm on January 31, 2022, the transfer window closed and once again West Ham are left with just one fit senior striker at the club.
Jarrod Bowen has at times played through the middle for the Hammers, as has Andriy Yarmolenko, and there are high hopes for 17-year-old Sonny Perkins - but should a top-four challenging club really be relying on this trio as backup for Michail Antonio?
Bowen has been in superb form this season but looks half the threat through the middle as he does when coming off the right, a position he has stated clearly is his preferred role.
Yarmolenko's best years are clearly behind him, despite a fantastic record in international football, 44 goals in 106 caps, and producing some impressive performances for Ukraine in Euro 2020, he is at best a bit-part player for the Hammers. One goal and one assist in six starts and 14 substitute appearances this season and a total of just 84 minutes of league action tell its own story.
As for Perkins, the teenager has a huge future ahead of him, he is in fine form for the under-23 side and has made both his Europa League and Premier League debuts this season. However, should Antonio pick up an injury it is a huge ask for the inexperienced 17-year-old to fill the void.
West Ham have had three transfer windows to replace Sebastien Haller and it is borderline negligence that once again the Hammers have let the deadline pass without bringing in a striker.
David Moyes has consistently said he does not want to bring in players for the sake of it, or because of media and supporter pressure and will only do business for the right players. But once again a transfer window has passed and Antonio is left without backup or competition, something the striker has admitted he would welcome.
"One thing that we definitely need is a striker, and the crazy thing is I’m the striker, so somebody is going to come in and try to take my spot. But I like a challenge, I like having someone there pushing me, even if they take my spot, I believe I can get it back, it gives me that hunger and that drive. It makes me play better because I need to play well to stay in the team," Antonio said on the Footballer’s Football Podcast.
When your starting striker is making comments like these it has to be a major worry for squad morale that not just in attack but across the team, the squad has not been strengthened. West Ham are in a hugely promising position heading into the remainder of the season and the campaign could still be a roaring success.
The Hammers are facing non-League opposition in the FA Cup, have a Europa League last-16 tie to look forward to and are only one point off the top four. However, just a couple of injuries and all this could be derailed.
Moyes believes that had Declan Rice remained injury-free last season then West Ham could have finished in the top four and by not reinforcing his squad this window the Hammers could end up in a similar situation.
Of course, the squad could avoid injuries and suspensions for the remainder of the season and cope admirably with the challenges ahead, however, this seems a risky path to be following.
'In Moyes we trust' has been a mantra for many West Ham supporters over the past year and time will tell if this remains true come the end of the season. I hope it does and I would love nothing more than in May to write a 'David Moyes January transfer gamble pays off' piece with the Hammers celebrating a Europa League triumph and Champions League qualification.
However, this transfer window appears to be a huge opportunity missed by the Hammers to head into the business end of the season in a stronger position than they currently do.
