Irons To Sign Crouchy 2:0?

West Ham United have been 'linked' with just about every striker that has a pulse during the club's 'eternal' search for striker NUMBER 50! Yes, 49, is the eye watering amount of strikers signed during the tenure of the current owners, a figure only matched by some of the eye watering payments they made to buy, what were, in most cases, 'duds'.

So striker number 50 needs to be a bit special, the problem is that there are too many buyers for, and not enough sellers of, decent strikers. Consequently clubs have to be 'creative' in their searches, sometimes thinking left field can pay off, more often than not it doesn't, so it is with some trepidation that fans will no doubt greet the news of an impending deal for a striker who is not 'main stream'.

Genk's Paul Onuachu stands a collosal 6'7" tall, he is 27 years old and has been prolific playing in Belgium, but therein could lie the issue, without wanting to disrespect Belgium football, their domestic leagues can hardly be described as being any where near the level of the Barclays Premier League.

Own Goal Nigeria claim that Hammers are in talks with the 27-year-old’s agent about potentially signing Onuachu, and there does indeed seem to be some 'legs' on this story, although it should also be noted that elsewhere there are claims that Onuachu's agent is in talks with Brighton as well.

Onuachu has just had a superb season, scoring 35 goals in 41 games (Transfermarkt), his career record of 124 goals in 263 games is pretty good as well, but the Elephant in the room is that those goals were scored in the Jupiler Pro League!

Tall strikers of 6'5" have often been criticised for standing 6'5" but jumping 5'6", however, standing at 6' 7" tall Paul Onuachu could not have that accusation made, he is the same height as 'TV' Star Peter crouch and is obviously an absolute beast in the air.

David Moyes loves to have a big number nine target man who can hold up the play, and the Nigerian ace certainly fits that bill, he is an out and out striker and NOT a converted wing player, above all the one quality he has, that Sebastien Haller didn't, is mobility.

OK you tube clips can be deceptive, but from what we have gleamed, he is like an Olympic sprinter compared with 'Le Sulk' Haller. Of course good strikers don't grow on trees, even in the Jupiler Pro League, so Hammers will have to dig deep, even for a comparative unknown. A figure of €25 Million is being mooted, which in this current economic climate seems a bit rich, but there will probably lots of takers if West Ham don't move first. - Ed