West Ham have been linked with signing prolific forward Ivan Toney on a number of occasions over the past few years but it seems unlikely at this point that the Hammers will be able to prise him away from Brentford.

However, David Moyes could land his own version of the Englishman in a swoop for AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud, who has been linked with a move to the London Stadium ahead of the summer.

Could West Ham sign Giroud?

According to The Sun, the World Cup-winning Frenchman is keen for a move to another London club, having already featured for both Arsenal and Chelsea in an illustrious career.

Now 36, the target man is still proving his worth in Italy with the Rossoneri but is said to be keen on a move back to London, with West Ham, as well as Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brentford said to be possible destinations.

Giroud would be available on a free transfer as his contract at the San Siro is set to expire at the end of the season and he could be Moyes' answer to the goalscoring issues at West Ham, which had been a major factor in leaving the east London side in the relegation places before Saturday's thumping 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Could Giroud be West Ham's own Ivan Toney?

Moyes does have Gianluca Scamacca, Danny Ings and Michail Antonio at his disposal but the latter has shown signs of decline this season, having found the net just three times in the league this term.

Meanwhile, Scamacca has disappointed since his summer switch from Sassuolo, also only beating the goalkeeping on three occasions in the top flight, so it could definitely be argued that Moyes needs another proven goalscorer in the shape of Giroud.

There may be doubts about the veteran striker's age but he showed his qualities at the World Cup in Qatar, scoring the winner in the 2-1 quarter-final win over England.

Journalist Saddick Adams, described him as "evergreen" and a "proper World Cup machine," so if he could show that form in West Ham colours he would surely be a worthwhile addition.

Crucially, according to FBref, Toney is the most similar player to Giroud when compared to other strikers across Europe's top leagues, demonstrating just what an asset the Irons could get their hands on.

This season has seen the two powerful forwards register extremely similar statistics with regard to non-penalty expected goals per 90 (both 0.44), key passes (17 vs 19) and aerials won (71 vs 73).

That latter stat is unsurprising when you consider the duo are close in height; Toney coming in at 6 foot 1 and Giroud at 6 foot 4.

The numbers emphasise that both strikers are a big threat in the box but can also be relied upon to hold the ball up and bring their teammates into play, which Toney has excelled at during his time with Brentford.

Given the Englishman's phenomenal goalscoring record with the Bees, which has seen him hit 14 goals in the Premier League this season, Moyes would surely be foolish to turn down a similar player in Giroud.