West Ham United have spent liberally this summer but technical director Tim Steidten may yet enforce further changes to the first-team squad.
Julen Lopetegui has been backed and then some in the transfer market, but fans will be disappointed after the Irons' opening-day defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
There is, however, solace to be taken from fresh faces Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville, Jean-Clair Todibo and Aaron Wan-Bissaka being benched. To put it another way, West Ham are only just getting started.
Michail Antonio started as the striker and flattered to deceive, and while the 34-year-old will hope to make a big impact across the campaign, he could be axed should Steidten add Tammy Abraham to the summer spending.
West Ham not done yet
As per Saturday's edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, West Ham are in pole position to sign Abraham this month, with AS Roma hoping to sell the English striker.
Abraham, whose 2023/24 season was wrecked by a knee injury, is valued at €25m (£21m). He's a proven goalscorer and could serve as a counterweight of sorts against the burly Fullkrug, all the while taking Antonio's place at the front of the ship.
What Tammy Abraham would bring to West Ham
West Ham signed Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund in a £27m deal and he will bring physicality and a target to the team, but Abraham could offer something a bit more dynamic, with a deceptive dribbling game to complement his shooting skills.
Antonio, while on the decline, is a beast of a forward, ranking among the top 17% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 19% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
He's also a steady goalscorer, with his 21 starts in the top flight last season bearing seven goals – not a bad return at all. Abraham, though, is something of a "goal machine", as claimed by former pro, Stephen Elliott, and could be a huge upgrade.
AS Roma
119 (86)
37
13
2x
Chelsea
82 (51)
30
10
1x
Bristol City
48 (42)
26
4
0x
Aston Villa
40 (40)
26
3
1x
Swansea City
39 (21)
8
4
0x
The 26-year-old's 2023/24 term might have been written off but he's bagged goals wherever he's played, Abraham, and could return to the Premier League to play an important role with West Ham.
Moreover, Abraham averaged one key pass per game across his opening two Serie A seasons, suggesting that he has what it takes to add to the all-round fluency of the Irons side and lift the goalscoring games of Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and the like.
Champions League winner; Conference League winner – Abaham is a first-class forward with European experience to complement plenty of goals in his homeland, and with such a creative and variegated West Ham frontline, he would surely be an exciting pick to call an end to Antonio's impressive career in east London.
The Jamaica international was not at the races against Aston Villa this weekend, failing to win a duel and completing only six passes.
Abraham, conversely, ranked among the top 4% of forwards during his last Premier League season (2020/21) and could be the complete package to finish off an exciting summer of spending with a flourish.
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