David Sullivan must fund a move for West Ham United to sign Adam Armstrong this summer after Kevin Campbell lauded the potential impact of the Blackburn Rovers striker.
What’s the word?
While speaking with Football Insider, the former Arsenal attacker urged West Ham to secure Armstrong’s services in the next transfer window.
David Moyes has been carrying out personal checks on the forward as he eyes his Sebastien Haller’s replacement, but the Irons are currently reluctant to pay Blackburn’s £25m asking price, according to The Sun.
Should West Ham sign Blackburn’s Armstrong?
Yes, he’d be perfect
No, he isn’t good enough
Campbell rates Armstrong highly and believes that the 24-year-old would be a nightmare for Premier League defenders through his dynamic movement.
Armstrong has been in terrific form in the Championship this season despite Blackburn’s plight, with only Ivan Toney (28) and Teemu Pukki (22) scoring more often than the 19-goal frontman, but in promotion-chasing sides.
Campbell has urged West Ham to capitalise on Blackburn’s willingness to listen to offers for Armstrong to add depth behind Michail Antonio, with Brighton recently joining the race and Newcastle reportedly ready to re-sign their academy product.
“The squad strength isn’t quite there at West Ham. Antonio is a great player but if he needs a rest, there isn’t really someone who can come in and be that guy,” Campbell said. “Moyes is limited with who he can pick up top.
“Armstrong has had a good season and I think will be a good signing for West Ham and they should probably make that move before he goes somewhere else. He’s a handful. Small strikers are a nightmare for centre-halves because centre-halves are almost always tall.”
Should West Ham sign Blackburn’s Armstrong?
West Ham’s apparent reluctance to pay Blackburn’s £25m asking price could see the London Stadium natives miss out on signing the club’s alleged top striker target, with interest in Armstrong continually building.
Brighton are thought to be increasingly keen on Armstrong as he represents a more natural finisher than any of Graham Potter’s current options, is young and English, and have several players that they could include in a swap deal.
Newcastle have a huge advantage in any race to sign the 24-year-old, too, having included a 40% sell-on clause in the £2m deal which saw Armstrong move to Ewood Park in 2018, which has seen Blackburn set the Toon their own £16m asking price.
West Ham must sign a striker in the off-season after Moyes opted against investing the £20m from Haller’s exit in January, and could land a second Antonio type in Armstrong.
In a similar way to how Campbell lauds the 24-year-old for being a lively problem for opposition defences, former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has praised Antonio for his ability to give those on the other side a nightmare.
“Antonio is a handful up front and has caused us problems before, so the back four will be tested again as he’ll put himself about big time,” Aldridge noted in his column for the Liverpool Echo in October.
Armstrong has earned his admirers in a Blackburn side 16 points down on the Championship play-off places, with Rovers’ run of one win in 12 league games failing to detract top-flight suitors.
West Ham would surely rue missing out and seeing that talent flourish for a rival club in the Premier League next season, so Sullivan must dig deep and fund a move.
AND in other news, West Ham have set their sights on a “competitive beast” who won’t cost David Sullivan a penny…