West Ham United Want To Sign This 24-Year-Old Striker: Does He Fit Nuno’s Tactics? | OneFootball

The fallout from relegation is never pretty. Squads fracture, high earners look for the exit, and managers face a massive puzzle. For Nuno Espirito Santo, the rebuild starts right now.

West Ham target Championship top scorer Vipotnik in major squad rebuild

According to reliable club insider ExWHUEmployee via the West Ham Way Patreon, the Hammers have put Swansea City striker Zan Vipotnik right at the top of their summer wishlist. It is an ambitious move. The 24-year-old Slovenian forward absolutely tore up the Championship last term, bagging 23 goals and turning provider three times across 45 appearances. Those numbers secured him the golden boot. Naturally, heavyweights like Sporting CP and Benfica are circling, along with plenty of top-flight English clubs.

Vipotnik wants Premier League football. He has said so publicly. That makes this a tough sell for the East London side, who have to convince him to spend a season in the second tier.

Behind the scenes, things are just as frantic. The board needs a new recruitment chief to steady the ship. Former Newcastle United head of recruitment Steve Nickson is the frontrunner. The club has lacked a proper director since Kyle Macauley walked away in October 2025, just after Graham Potter’s departure.

Why the Slovenian marksman fits Nuno’s tactical blueprint?

SWANSEA, WALES – JANUARY 20: Zan Vipotnik of Swansea City celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City and Blackburn Rovers at Swansea.com Stadium on January 20, 2026 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Guaranteed goals. That is what wins you promotion out of this division, and that is why targeting the reigning Golden Boot winner makes perfect sense.

Vipotnik carried Swansea last year. He scored 40% of their league goals. He did it without elite service, too. He is a proper old-school focal point, built to handle a brutal 46-game calendar. Nuno needs that physical presence. West Ham went down because they lacked teeth in the final third. Vipotnik is a penalty-box predator, the kind of player who scores ugly goals from close range.

Can they actually pull it off? It looks incredibly difficult on paper, especially with Portuguese giants dangling Champions League nights in front of him. But Vipotnik loves the English game. That gives the Hammers a foot in the door. If Nickson gets the technical job, his connections could speed up the talks.

Then there is the financial side. Money talks. West Ham still have parachute payments, meaning they can offer wage packages that blow mid-table European clubs right out of the water. If the board wants a quick return to the top flight, they have to back the manager with a serious finisher.