Allardyce laments missed out transfer targets

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce revealed that he had failed with a number of attempts to sign a hsot of strikers this summer but backed Stewart Downing to impress at the club.

Allardyce managed to sign former Liverpool frontman Andy Caroll for a club record signing this summer but failed to bring in a back up striker at Upton Park.


Allardyce told the London Evening Standard "Jermain Defoe, Loic Remy, Romelu Lukaku, Demba Ba, two players from Juventus and Austrian international Marko Arnautovic, who joined Stoke, were all on our radar at one stage or another but for varying reasons, none of them came."


However, he backed under fire former Liverpool winger Stewart Downing to flourish at the club despite receiving some strong criticism for signing him.


Allardyce added: "Stewart Downing, who had become available a little earlier, is an outstanding player who will be invaluable to us.


"I emphasise that because there has been some criticism out there that, instead of signing him, we should have waited for a striker."