West Ham made an attempt to fix their number nine woes in the January transfer window, with both Michail Antonio and Niclas Füllkrug missing significant parts of this season, signing Brighton’s Evan Ferguson on loan.
Linking back up with his old boss Graham Potter, Ferguson has struggled to find any rhythm since joining the Hammers, making five appearances since joining the club, yet to provide a single goal or assist in a total of 92 minutes played.
This means their number nine issue is still at large, approaching the 2025/26 summer transfer window, and links are already beginning to emerge on who could be next through the door.
The latest Georges Mikautadze to West Ham
According to reports from CaughtOffside, West Ham are eyeing a move for Lyon forward, Georges Mikautadze, who is said to be one of their top transfer targets this summer.
Other clubs interested in the Georgian striker include Crystal Palace and Wolves, with the sense the 24-year-old would be open to a move to the Premier League this summer.
The reports does also mention that Mikautadze is ‘aware’ of West Ham’s interest and is ‘enthusiastic’ about the prospect of joining the club to link up with the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Kudus.
The 24-year-old has made 38 appearances for Lyon this campaign, scoring 14 goals, providing eight assists, and totaling 1,705 minutes played, which suggests that he could be even better than the misfiring Ferguson, who is yet to score for the Hammers, due to his goalscoring pedigree in France.
How Mikautadze could fit in at West Ham
Under Potter, the front three with the arrival of Mikautadze would likely see Bowen playing off the right, able to tuck in and play as a temporary wing-back when needed, with Kudus playing as a number ten, off of the Lyon ace as the number nine.
The 24-year-old striker has been labeled a “true icon” in the making by Jacek Kulig, becoming Georgia’s second all-time top scorer this month, and he could go on to become an icon in club football too, should he decide to make the move to East London.
When comparing all three of the forwards’ underlying metrics this season, you can see what Mikautadze would add, having the highest goals/shot ratio by far, with 0.18, whilst also taking the most shots per game, with 3.46. This goal threat would help to maximise the creative qualities of both Bowen and Kudus.
You can also see how Mikautadze has the capacity to become a creator and aid both Bowen and Kudus to improve their own goal threat, making 3.26 progressive passes per 90 as a centre-forward, which is more than both of the current West Ham stars.
Not only would the dynamic between this trio be perfect for catching teams in transition, but it would also add some much-needed youth to West Ham’s striking department, which is currently formed of three players all over the age of 31. For this reason, among many others, Mikautadze would be a very welcome addition.
