The Cherries have enjoyed a magnificent start to the season, winning plaudits for the way in which they've played their football, and whilst they've slowly slid down the English top-flight table from a previous second position to ninth, their current 18-point haul is just four points behind Man City in second.
Just 13 goals scored by West Ham players
The Hammers have seen an upturn in recent results, and their two wins over Newcastle and Burnley mean they've reeled in the teams directly above them.
10 points still isn't enough for them to be out of the bottom three as yet, though the Magpies (in 14th) are now just two points away from them. A couple more positive results and the East Londoners could find themselves sat proudly in mid-table.
In order to push on, however, they do need a striker who knows where the goal is.
So far in 2025/26, just 13 goals have been scored by six West Ham players in the Premier League, with Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta top-scoring with three each.
In terms of centre-forwards, Niclas Fullkrug has been a disaster since signing for the club, and has only managed three goals in 24 league games, spanning last season and this.
All three came in 2024/25, and after another injury that's kept him sidelined, it's little wonder that the club won't stand in his way if he finds alternative employment in January.
Zirkzee targeted
Callum Wilson, brought in by Graham Potter in the summer to help fire the Irons to glory, has just two goals to his name, so it will be interesting to see if Nuno calls upon the 33-year-old to lead the line against one of his old clubs.
In any event, it would appear that the manager is already looking at freshening up his front line in the new year.
One striker that has been consistently linked with a move to the London Stadium is Manchester United's out-of-favour front man, Joshua Zirkzee.
At 24 years of age, the Dutchman should be approaching his prime as a player, and yet, due in no small part to the signings of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, has played for just a handful of minutes spread across four appearances in the 25/26 campaign.
Though his being sidelined is unfortunate, one can't necessarily blame Ruben Amorim for overlooking him for the most part this season.
During 2024/25, he made 32 league appearances but scored just three goals and provided only one assist.
In seven domestic cup appearances in two seasons, he has two goals, and in 11 Europa League appearances, he has two more with one assist.
Not good enough
However, seven goals and two assists in 54 total appearances are nowhere near good enough for a player at the elite level, which begs the question of why West Ham would feel he is the right man to get them out of their current predicament.
Furthermore, despite his relative youth, Zirkzee looked laboured during most of last season and from West Ham's point of view could only be used as a target man rather than one that could be utilised by bringing others into play.
Balls over the top would be a complete waste of time simply because the Dutchman doesn't have the pace to get on the end of them, which is precisely the issue facing the East Londoners at the moment with Wilson; albeit he's nine years Zirkzee's senior.
His work ethic doesn't appear to be in doubt, at least when he's been given the chance to show how committed he is, but with respect, that should be a prerequisite for every player.
Tough run in December
The fact is that Zirkzee is paid to put the ball in the back of the net, and that's something he's not been able to do on a regular enough basis.
After their test at Bournemouth, Liverpool looms large for the Hammers, and then comes a trip to Old Trafford.
In fact, before the January window opens up, West Ham have tough games against Man City and Brighton (twice) as well as Fulham and Aston Villa.
It's a tough run, and if the club are to survive another season in the top-flight, they need to come out of that period positively, and supplement that with decent signings in January.
If Zirkzee still remains a priority at that point, the hope will be that regular pitch time, and in a World Cup year to boot, will see a rebirth for the player similar to when Jesse Lingard swapped the Theatre of Dreams for the London Stadium.
