Southampton aren't alone as West Ham also set sights on January striker signing

Southampton's dramatic 3-2 win away at West Ham United last month ended up being one of Nuno Espirito Santo's final game in charge of the Hammers.

Indeed, Nuno lasted just one more game in the London Stadium dug-out, after this demoralising defeat, with a 3-1 home loss at the hands of West Bromwich Albion proving to be the final nail in the coffin.

Now, Scott Parker is in charge, which will worry Tonda Eckert's men, as the 46-year-old is a serial promotion winner as a manager in the Championship, having got Fulham, AFC Bournemouth, and Burnley all promoted to the Premier League.

But, he will have his work cut out to win promotion this time around, as the tussle right at the top of the second-tier is very intense, with the Saints only five points off the very top of the division, despite being sat in seventh spot.

Alongside all the competition being fierce making it difficult for him to pull off a crazy fourth promotion, Parker will also want some mid-season reinforcements to help his chances of another promotion falling into his lap, with a new striker a big priority, as per a new report.

EFL-focused journalist Alan Nixon is reporting that Parker and Co. are targetting a brand-new striker addition when January rolls around.

Nixon states that the East London giants want an experienced marksman to enter the building to lead from the front in the overwhelming promotion race, with West Ham struggling for goals in the centre-forward department, despite boasting a sensational 37 goals overall.

Joel Piroe does have four goals, but away from the Leeds United loanee, Valentin Castellanos only has one goal, with four shots spurned by the wasteful Argentine last month when Eckert's men travelled to the London Stadium.

Moreover, Pablo Felipe only has one meagre strike next to his name, as he registered just one weak shot during a 27-minute substitute cameo against the victorious Saints.

Eckert will be in the same boat as the brand-new Hammers boss in January, as Southampton could also do with a refresh up top, even with Cyle Larin set to return from injury after the international break.

Larin returning for the Derby County game next weekend will be very welcome news for Saints fans.

The Brampton Bagsman is a firm fan favourite, as before he limped off with a hamstring injury against Bolton Wanderers towards the start of October, he had a blistering seven Championship strikes under his belt from 11 clashes.

The goals haven't completely dried up since he was forced off against the Trotters, with seven goals scored for fun against West Ham and Queens Park Rangers in two exciting 3-2 and 4-1 victories, but the lack of a competent back-up has hurt Eckert and Co. across their first two disappointing matches in November.

Indeed, Lewis Dobbin, when facing two of his former clubs in West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End, couldn't find the back of the net, with the £9m summer signing horribly inconsistent, since leaving Deepdale behind.

On top of that, Divin Mubama has been liable to putting in one too many anonymous displays, meaning both Dobbin, and the Manchester City loanee, are stuck on one goal second-tier goal apiece, much like Castellanos and Pablo under Parker's wing.

It will be interesting to see what route the Saints go down with a striker purchase in January, as Nixon states that West Ham want a seasoned pro.

Whereas, the South Coast giants could go down the more youthful route, with Evan Ferguson still only 22 years of age, as one possible loan addition from Brighton and Hove Albion.

He funnily enough featured for the Hammers very briefly during the 2024/25 season, as he managed to bag just one weak Premier League strike.

Away from the Irishman, it will also be intriguing to see if there is any overlap in the strikers the two clubs target, as the January window is set to be a busy one in the Championship.