It’s hardly been a summer transfer window to write home about for West Ham United supporters so far.
The main talking point still hanging in the air is the disappointing £55m sale of Mohammed Kudus to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with the recent free transfer purchase of Kyle Walker-Peters from Southampton at least offering a slight ray of positivity amidst a gloomy window to date.
There will surely be a desire on the part of Graham Potter to push on with more signings, as the list of strikers being linked with a move to the London Stadium increases.
West Ham considering move for £26m forward
Indeed, it does appear as if the Irons are hunting down reinforcements up top.
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One target in this department is FC Metz hotshot Idrissa Gueye, who is a far cry from the other name constantly circling in Callum Wilson – a player who has reportedly even agreed personal terms with the Hammers.
The 18-year-old hotshot is an up-and-coming talent in France, contrasted with the ageing 33-year-old now searching for a fresh club as a declining free agent.
West Ham might well meet in the middle, instead, with another centre-forward target in the form of Cagliari star Roberto Piccoli, with Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari taking to X recently to reveal that the Hammers are considering a move for the €30m (£26m) attacker.
He might well be a better option to go after than settling for the ex-AFC Bournemouth veteran, with Piccoli just fresh off a goal-laden season in Serie A, whilst Wilson faded into the background on Tyneside.
How Piccoli compares to Wilson
Wilson hadn’t always found himself stuck on the periphery at St James’ Park, however.
At one point in time, the Coventry-born marksman was Newcastle’s leading man – before Alexander Isak stormed onto the scene – with a hefty 35 of his Premier League collection of 88 strikes coming for the Toon.
Unfortunately for Wilson, only nine of those efforts have fallen across his last two seasons, and whilst the 33-year-old’s game has noticeably waned for Eddie Howe’s Magpies, Piccoli was coming into his own for his employers in Italy.
Last campaign, the Cagliari number 91 would play a key role in his lowly Serie A side beating the drop, with ten goals being powered home from 37 games.
Games played
37
Goals scored
10
Assists
1
Shots*
2.6
Big chances missed
26
Total duels won*
5.2
In a Hammers environment where he has the likes of Jarrod Bowen to bounce off, he could well live up to his “prolific” billing even more, as he was once labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Of course, Piccoli isn’t the finished article – as seen in his glaring 26 big chances missed last season in Serie A action – but his aggressiveness to throw himself into duels, which saw him 5.2 duels on average across that same span, should stand him in good stead for the challenges ahead, away from just being viewed as a promising, centre-forward figure with room to grow and develop.
On the flip side, Wilson has been deep in the twilight of his playing days for some time now.
Worryingly, Jamie Carragher way back in 2023 had highlighted that the Premier League regular had just “not been the same” amid concerns about his sluggish displays for the Magpies. Wilson himself has even been critical of his drop-off in form, too, having noted the 2024/25 season as being “one of my worst.”
That has now culminated in him drawing consistent blanks, with West Ham far better placed to go after the services of Piccoli, over hoping that the 33-year-old reaches his peak again.
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