Alious
West Ham United are usually haunted by the players who slip through their fingers. But this time, the club may feel they dodged a major misstep after a long-pursued striker has come under fierce criticism from one of Italy’s most respected footballing figures.
For years, West Ham’s attempts to find a reliable No. 9 have bordered on chaotic. Since David Sullivan took control in 2010, the club have cycled through an astonishing 57 forwards. Some were hits, many were costly misses, and the search continues as the Hammers look to bring in striker number 58 this winter.
The recent Niclas Füllkrug experiment only reinforced how often West Ham misjudge their striker recruitment. Built for constant service rather than chaos and mobility, he never fit the profile of attackers who tend to thrive in east London—players like Marko Arnautović and Michail Antonio, whose versatility and work rate helped mask the team’s deficiencies in chance creation.
As the club faces another relegation-threatened season, the margin for error in the January window has evaporated. Yet one failed pursuit from the summer now looks like a blessing in disguise.
For four years—across *eight* transfer windows—West Ham chased Canadian forward Jonathan David. First linked in 2021, the saga dragged on endlessly, reignited again when Graham Potter pushed hard to sign him on a free transfer in 2025. Despite David Moyes previously turning down the chance to sign him for £20m in 2023, the club revived their charm offensive, even hosting the player’s representatives multiple times.
But on July 2, Juventus beat West Ham to the punch. “Here we go,” said Fabrizio Romano, and the chase was finally over.
And yet, what followed in Turin has been underwhelming. With just three goals in 20 matches and Juventus languishing mid-table, David has struggled to match the hype. Now, sharp words from club icon Claudio Marchisio have cast an even longer shadow over the transfer saga.
Marchisio didn’t question David’s ability—he questioned his drive. Speaking on a *La Gazzetta dello Sport* podcast, the former Juventus midfielder blasted the striker’s lack of intensity and accused him of coasting.
According to Marchisio, David is “jogging” through matches, showing none of the hunger required during a turbulent period for the Italian giants. His comments suggested a player whose attitude is emblematic of Juve’s broader issues.
For West Ham, who explored offering big wages, guarantees of starting time, and the lure of London to entice David, the criticism lands like validation. The club may well feel they narrowly avoided committing massive wages and a hefty signing-on fee to a player now being labelled “lazy” by one of Juventus’s most respected voices.
It wasn’t by design, but West Ham’s failure to land Jonathan David may prove one of their most fortunate transfer misses in years.
Alious
