According to West Ham insider ExWHUEmployee, the Hammers tried to complete a deal for Krzysztof Piatek this month.

What’s the word?

West Ham’s transfer business this January has been far from impressive, failing to bring in any players besides goalkeeper Darren Randolph.

It’s thought that a deal for Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek is on the cards but whether or not they bring in more firepower to assist Sebastien Haller remains to be seen.

One player who has been linked to not only West Ham but also to London rivals Tottenham (Corriere Dello Sport, viaÂSport Witness) is Piatek.

The Polish striker is currently at AC Milan but the Hammers have seemingly missed out on him with others in the queue.

Taking to Twitter, ExWHUemployee noted:

Frustrating but not a surprise

Given West Ham’s league position of 17th, it’s perhaps rather unsurprising that they’ve struggled to bring in a player currently playing for a major club in one of Europe’s top leagues.

Piatek has been a force to be reckoned with in years gone by, netting 13 goals for Genoa in Serie A last season.

His 2019/20 campaign hasn’t hit the same heights, scoring four, but there is still a realisation that this is one of the most promising forwards on the continent.

At just 24 years of age, he’s earned comparisons to Andriy Shevchenko from the man himself. Speaking to Sport Mediaset in March last year, the Ukrainian said: “He is my heir to Milan.â€

This was fine praise for a man who had scored nine league goals for the Italian giants in the previous term.

But comparisons don’t stop there, and in fact, Piatek has compared himself and looked to model his game on fellow Polish forward Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane.

Call yourself a West Ham expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

In an interview with l’Ultimo Uomo, PiatekÂnoted:“My two favourite centre forwards are [Robert] Lewandowski and Harry Kane, perhaps I have characteristics more similar to those of English.â€

The Milan striker comes with a heavy reputation and judging by his promise, West Ham look as though they’re going to miss out on a top player this month.

With the Irons battling against relegation, they will have to look for more realistic targets before the window closes on Friday night.

Meanwhile, West Ham are IN THE HUNT for a right-back currently playing in the Premier League…