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West Ham eye Taiwo Awoniyi. African footballers. The head coach of West Ham United, Julen Lopetegui, plans to make eight new signings this summer to strengthen the team for the upcoming season. Lopetegui wants to add players in several positions, including left-back, center-back, and forward. According to The Athletic, Taiwo Awoniyi is West Ham’s main target among the forwards.
Nottingham Forest, facing financial issues, is willing to sell some players to balance its books. If a deal is made, Awoniyi could be an important player for Lopetegui, so West Ham is prepared to make a strong offer.
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Awoniyi, who scored six goals in 20 Premier League games last season, had groin surgery in November. Now fully fit, he can significantly improve West Ham’s attack. In his first Premier League season, Awoniyi scored 10 goals in 27 games. If he stays healthy, he could score 15 or more goals, which would be a rare achievement for West Ham in recent years.
West Ham clearly wants to improve their squad under Lopetegui’s leadership. Signing Awoniyi would be a big step toward their goal of having a more successful and competitive season.
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More about Taiwo Awoniyi
Taiwo Micheal Awoniyi (born 12 August 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Nottingham Forest and the Nigeria national team. Awoniyi has a younger twin sister named Kehinde. He married his partner, Taiwo Jesudun, with an engagement and traditional wedding in Kabba on 15 June 2018, followed by a white wedding on 16 June in Ilorin. Awoniyi is a Christian.
He represented Nigeria at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, winning the tournament and scoring four goals. He also played in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup after winning the 2015 African U-20 Championship in Senegal. On 12 April 2015, Awoniyi scored twice on his debut for the Nigeria under-23 team in a match against Zambia, helping his team qualify for the 2015 All-Africa Games.
Awoniyi was part of Nigeria’s 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. In late 2021, he was called up by Gernot Rohr for Nigeria’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, making his senior debut in a 1–0 loss to the Central African Republic. He also represented Nigeria at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring his only goal of the tournament in a 3–1 group stage win against Sudan.