It is no secret that one of the key positions West Ham United need to strengthen is their striker, and Celta Vigo’s Maxi Gomez could be that man.

Current option Marko Arnautovic may have had a decent enough year, but his footballing efforts have been largely overshadowed since he showed his more slithery slide off the pitch - attempting to force a move away to China in January.

Javier Hernandez, on the other hand, may be more dedicated to the Hammers’ cause, but he is totally devoid of any ability, and his days of bumbling the ball over the line seem long gone. And, whilst former Arsenal man Lucas Perez is a potent combination of both poor commitment and shabby quality, Andy Carroll is too broken to even make an appearance.

It is not good enough for a side who have ambitions of reaching the European spots.

So we are sure it comes as great news for West Ham that long-term target Maxi Gomez could arrive for a relatively small fee this summer.

According to the Mirror, Manuel Pellegrini could be looking at a mammoth £20 million price reduction (£42 million in January) on the 22-year-old Uruguayan if Celta Vigo drop from La Liga this season.

And that is beginning to look all the more likely with the club having only taken four points in the previous 11 matches – a baron run which has seen Gomez claim only one goal.

The big striker is seen as a more than capable successor to Andy Carrol, donning some pretty similar characteristics in his strength, size and aerial ability.

West Ham fans, if Gomez joins, how should Pellegrini setup your West Ham forward line-up? Let us know in the comments below…