CONFIRMED: West Ham agree deal to sign SURPRISE striker

West Ham United have reached an agreement to sign Brian Brobbey from Ajax in what will go down as one of the surprise deals of the January transfer window.

Graham Potter’s side had launched an ambitious bid to land Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, but after being knocked back by the Birmingham club have been forced to look elsewhere for offensive alternatives. They had previously been linked briefly with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.

This has led the Hammers to sound out Ajax over a loan deal for Brobbey, who had previously been linked with Manchester United during Erik ten Hag’s era at Old Trafford.

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According to TBR Football, an agreement has been reached and Potter, who was given more than 20 options to select from by the West Ham board, will have a new addition to his offensive arsenal within 48 hours.

Potter, who seemed on the verge of agreeing to become Ajax boss for a period last season, will have studied the Amsterdam side’s squad closely and will, therefore, know all about the qualities of Brobbey, who is already on his way to London for his medical.

West Ham are desperate for firepower, with an injury crisis gripping the squad. Michail Antonio was involved in a serious car accident at the end of last year and is therefore out for at least a year. With Niclas Fullkrug also out until April, Danny Ings is now the only specialist striker available to Potter.

Brobbey to West Ham: A deal being swept through

Brobbey was touted as a possible option for the Hammers on Thursday, when Florian Plettenberg revealed that he could hook up with Potter’s side in case a loan deal for RB Leipzig striker Andre Silva collapsed. It appears the deal for the Portuguese has been blocked.

Brobbey is a surprising option for West Ham given his dreadful form this season. He has netted only four times in 29 matches across all competitions, despite Ajax being the third-highest-scoring side in the Eredivisie.

Indeed, the 22-year-old striker has never been a particularly assuring presence in front of goal, despite a scoring rate that is, on the face of it, impressive.

In particular, Brobbey struggled during a loan stint in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, failing to net in 14 appearances. West Ham need him to find better form for Potter in the Premier League.