With a week left in the January transfer window, West Ham are once again left searching for a striker to add to their squad with the clock ticking on their attempts to bolster their ranks.
Since Sebastien Haller's departure last January, West Ham have been left with just Michail Antonio as their sole recognised senior striker. Jarrod Bowen and Andriy Yarmolenko have both been used in the role sporadically in Antonio's absence and youngster Sonny Perkins has emerged on the scene this season.
Perkins, 17, made his senior debut against Rapid Vienna in November during the Europa League encounter and almost made an instant impact off the bench. The striker was given a 12-minute run-out and only a superb save by the Rapid goalkeeper kept him from making it a perfect debut.
He was then handed his first start for the Hammers in the final Group H game, a home clash with Dinamo Zagreb, and played 87 minutes. As a result of his fine form for the academy teams, Perkins has found himself included in two Premier League matchday squads and made his league debut earlier this month with a three-minute appearance off the bench against Leeds United.
In the under-23 team, Perkins has netted six goals in 12 starts for the Premier League 2 leaders, including a superb strike on Monday afternoon during the 2-1 loss to Leicester City. After a wonderful bit of skill from Thierry Nevers to turn his marker and sprint upfield, Perkins took one touch to control, another to get the ball out of his feet before firing into the top corner from 18 yards out.
This clinical finishing has become his trademark and each performance in the under-23 team is proving why David Moyes chose Perkins as the youngster to lead the line against Dinamo.
If West Ham fail to add a striker in the remaining few days of the January transfer window, Perkins has made a strong case for more involvement during the second half of the season, something that was not expected of him at the start of the campaign.
Perkins had a fine pre-season and returned in fantastic shape and has pushed on since then. He may only be 17 but you would not know that from looking at him - he is strong and comfortable leading the line on his own.
Whilst the step-up from under-23 level to the first team is a ginormous one, Perkins is doing everything he can to make that leap and it appears sooner rather than later he will do so.
West Ham are desperate to bring in a striker this month but if the right man does not materialise then Hammers fans can expect to see plenty more of the youngster in the near future.
