By Conor Hogan

It’s funny how things work out in football sometimes.

Since 2019, West Ham have spent millions on strikers with very little return. Between Sébastien Haller, Gianluca Scamacca and Niclas Füllkrug, the Irons shelled out over £100 million and got just 16 Premier League between the trio.

After the arrivals of Haller and Scamacca, there was real excitement among supporters — surely this time West Ham had found the long-term, reliable goalscorer they’d been missing. 

But it never materialised. Injuries, unsuitable systems and lukewarm attitudes meant none of them reached their potential in Claret and Blue. Each big-money arrival brought fresh hope, only for the same disappointment to follow.

Even Füllkrug, whose signing was met with less enthusiasm, looked set for a strong 2025/26 campaign after a glowing pre-season. Instead, following a difficult spell in East London, the German now seems likely to leave in January.

Then there’s Callum Wilson — a striker almost no West Ham fan wanted. He had previously seemed to belittle the club’s achievements, and like those before him, he carried an injury-prone reputation. To many, he looked like the cheapest option available: a classic “Sullivan buy.” His arrival was met with outrage, especially online.

Yet despite only playing a handful of games, the 33-year-old already looks a better signing than the big-fee strikers before him. Wilson changed the game at Brighton on Sunday, assisting Jarrod Bowen’s opener just 50 seconds after coming on. 

Wilson has four league goals this season — level with Bowen and already more than Scamacca or Füllkrug managed in the Premier League for West Ham.

When he joined, many supporters labelled Wilson a downgrade on the departing Michail Antonio, arguably the club’s only effective striker since the turn of the decade. But in truth, Wilson has been an upgrade, as Antonio had begun to lose a step even before his car accident.

Wilson may not be the “generational” forward fans dream of, but compared with West Ham’s recent record in the striker market, he’s proving superb value for money.