West Ham United have moved to quash reports suggesting that free agent striker Emmanuel Dennis is on the verge of joining the club, following a fresh injury setback to Niclas Füllkrug.

The London side’s long-standing misfortune with strikers appears to have struck once again. Since David Sullivan became majority owner in 2010, West Ham have signed an astonishing 55 forwards — yet very few have managed to make a lasting impression. Those who did either struggled with injuries, faded after a bright start, or left for greener pastures. It’s little wonder supporters have dubbed it the “West Ham striker curse.”

Another blow for West Ham as Füllkrug sidelined again

Füllkrug, who became the club’s 53rd striker signing when he joined from Borussia Dortmund in a £27 million deal last summer, was seen as a major gamble given his lengthy injury history. Unfortunately, that gamble has not paid off. The German international missed six of the last nine months of the season with two significant injuries and has once again been ruled out after tearing muscles in his thigh during training. The setback means he’ll be sidelined for several weeks.

January’s addition, Evan Ferguson — striker number 54 — also failed to deliver, enduring a goalless loan spell without even registering a shot on target. Despite fans urging the board to bring in a young, dynamic forward over the summer, the club instead opted for veteran Callum Wilson on a free transfer, a move that has yet to inspire confidence.

Rumours link Dennis with move to London Stadium

With Füllkrug out injured and Wilson struggling to make an impact under Nuno Espírito Santo, speculation quickly surfaced that Emmanuel Dennis could become West Ham’s next forward signing. The Daily Mail reported that the Hammers had made initial enquiries about the 27-year-old Nigerian, who is currently without a club after mutually terminating his Nottingham Forest contract in the summer.

The potential reunion seemed plausible, given Dennis previously worked under Nuno at Forest and West Ham’s current shortage of fit attacking options. Having impressed during his time at Watford, Dennis has since seen his career stall, featuring sparingly over the past three seasons.

However, the prospect of another short-term fix has not been well received by fans, many of whom have grown tired of stop-gap signings during what they view as an era of poor squad planning.

Club dismisses talk as “agent-driven”

When approached for clarification, a senior West Ham source firmly denied any interest in Dennis, describing the rumours as entirely fabricated.

“There is zero truth to the Dennis claims,” the insider told Hammers News. “His agent is trying to push him on us, but the manager and the club have no interest whatsoever.”

Instead, Nuno is said to be keeping faith in his current options until the January transfer window, where West Ham reportedly plan to pursue higher-profile targets such as Joshua Zirkzee, Gabriel Jesus, Vitor Roque, and Endrick.

For now, the “striker curse” continues to haunt the Hammers — but at least this time, it seems the club won’t be turning to another desperate short-term solution.