West Ham rekindle interest in Super Eagles striker despite Nottingham Forest stance

English Premier League side, West Ham United, have rekindled their interest in Super Eagles and Nottingham Forest striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 27-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the City Ground, largely due to the red-hot form of Kiwi striker, Chris Wood.

West Ham, on the other hand, spent a fortune last summer, bringing in Crycenscio Summerville, and Nicklas Fullkrug, but none of them have been able to impress so far as the Hammers are currently 14th in the English Premier League table.

To make things worse, the London-based side have been struck with injury woes. Two of their main goal threats, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, will most likely not feature again this season after they both suffered fractures in their legs.

In a bid to reinforce their attack, Graham Potter’s side are looking to bring Taiwo Awoniyi to the club as reported by West Ham Zone.

Nottingham Forest v Luton Town – Emirates FA Cup Third Round Taiwo Awoniyi of Nottingham Forest runs with the ball during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Nottingham Forest and Luton Town at the City Ground in Nottingham, England, on January 11, 2025. Nottingham Nottinghamshire United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xMIxNewsx originalFilename:fletcher-nottingh250111_npJfU.jpg. [Photo Credit /Imago].
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However, it is highly unlikely that Forest will weaken their attack after their good run of form in the league. If an exit is to happen, it’ll be in the summer. As early reported by Soccernet.ng, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are unwilling to part with the Nigerian striker this month.

Sky Sports Correspondent, Rob Dorsett, also confirmed Nottingham Forest will not allow Awoniyi to leave the City Ground this month except if they have a replacement coming in.

“Nottingham Forest won’t allow Taiwo Awoniyi to leave this month unless they have a striker to replace him. West Ham United are interested in Awoniyi but haven’t approached yet. Forest talked to Santiago Gimenez in the summer, but it’s not clear if they will revisit now,” the journalist wrote.

Awoniyi has scored one goal in 15 games for Forest across all competitions this term. Their manager, Nuno Espirito Santo has been very meticulous with the playing time of the former Union Berlin striker due to his history with recurring groin problems.

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria.

With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience.

He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.