West Ham In Negotiations For 31-Year-Old Striker: Is He The Right Option For The Hammers? | OneFootball

When a club president tells the press a player has no future, the writing is on the wall. Jaroslav Tvrdík did not mince his words this week. The Slavia Prague supremo made it abundantly clear that Tomáš Chorý has kicked his last ball for the Czech champions. Bridges burned. Done.

West Ham linked with Czech striker after brutal public fallout

That brutal public exile has triggered plenty of interest across Europe, with West Ham United emerging as shock suitors for the 31-year-old. Negotiations are reportedly underway to bring the giant forward to east London, with a bargain price tag dangling in front of the board.

Transfermarkt pegs his value at around €2.7 million. That is pocket change for an English club, even one adjusting to the grim reality of life in the second tier. Chorý has 24 caps for the Czech Republic, netting seven times for his country, and he comes with a proven record of scoring goals at the highest level in his homeland.

Impressive numbers on paper

Nobody can dispute what he did last season. Chorý bagged 17 goals in 24 league games for Slavia during the 2025/26 campaign, topping their scoring charts while laying on four assists. He held his own in the Champions League group stage too. A year earlier, he racked up 14 goals in 32 appearances to help Slavia lift the domestic title.

He knows where the net is. The guy is a mountain of a man, standing 6ft 6in tall and weighing in at 102kg. Put him in a penalty box, and he will cause chaos. You can easily picture him bullying tired defenders late in games, winning aerial duels and knocking down long balls for runners.

Yet context matters. The Czech First League is a world away from English football, particularly the relentless, grinding marathon that is the Championship. Apart from a brief loan spell with Zulte Waregem in Belgium back in 2020, Chorý has played his entire career in Czechia.

Nuno needs proven Championship quality

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – JUNE 24: Tomas Chory #19 of Czechia arrives ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Czechia and Mexico at Mexico City Stadium on June 24, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Relegation changes everything. West Ham cannot afford to mess about in the transfer window this summer, because getting out of the Championship at the first attempt is absolute hell. Nuno Espirito Santo knows this better than anyone.

Nuno wants players who know the division inside out. That is why the club have been monitoring Swansea striker Zan Vipotnik, who bagged the Championship Golden Boot last season with 23 goals. Vipotnik is tuned into the rhythm of Saturday-Tuesday football on soggy pitches against physical centre-backs. He is ready to hit the ground running.

Chorý is an unknown quantity in England. A low transfer fee makes him look like a low-risk punt on paper, but saving money on a transfer fee means nothing if the player takes six months to adapt to the pace of the game.