Graham Potter handed the chance to sign Newcastle United target as West Ham’s first signing

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Graham Potter is set to mark his return to the Premier League at West Ham United by hijacking a player Newcastle United think highly of.

Potter was appointed West Ham United boss on Thursday following the sacking of Julien Lopetegui. He previously managed Brighton and Chelsea in the Premier League before joining the Hammers.

A positive for Potter is that he joined during the January transfer window – he has the chance to improve his squad immediately.

He’ll welcome Newcastle to the London Stadium in March.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will be delighted with his team’s confidence in front of goal in recent weeks after a shaky start to the season. Alexander Isak has been the focal point of the goals recently – the Swede has scored 13 goals in the Premier League this season.

Isak scored in his seventh straight Premier League game on Saturday as Newcastle dispatched Tottenham in North London.

Anthony Gordon has also been a great provider of goals and assists. The 23-year-old has nine goal involvements in the league this season.

Despite that, they’re still joint lowest for the number of different goal scorers in the league with seven. If someone like Gordon or Isak were to get injured Howe would be struggling to find where the goals would come from.

Newcastle are linked with Lille striker Jonathan David who is out of contract in the summer – four Premier League clubs are in early discussions with David as well as teams in Italy.

Now, a recent report suggests Newcastle are set to lose out on the Canadian with West Ham as the potential destination.

Jonathan David to West Ham over Newcastle

Jonathan David looks set to be one of the hottest free agents in Europe with his contract winding down. There’s no surprise that given his form, he’s got interest from the top leagues.

The 24-year-old has 24 goal involvements so far this season including four goals in the Champions League league phase against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.

Newcastle want attackers in January, although David may not sign in the current window he’s an option for summer.

However, according to GIVEMESPORT, Potter has been given the chance to make David his first signing as Hammers boss.

The report claims that there has been a round of pre-contract discussions between David and West Ham but a deal is far from finalised.

Manchester United are also reportedly interested in the striker – it’s tough competition for Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell who is under pressure to perform in a difficult transfer market.

• READ MORE: All of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United signings, ranked

Newcastle desperately need a striker

While Newcastle’s run of form is admirable, it could fall apart with the absence of certain players.

Newcastle must invest in a quality striker in January to keep their momentum up – although Howe’s priority is a winger, a striker should be held in the same regard.

The Magpies options away from Isak are sparse. William Osula isn’t ready for consistent top-flight football and has failed to impress in his time on the pitch so far this season.

Callum Wilson is still injured and is out of contract in the summer. Signing David isn’t only a boost to Newcastle’s attacking options but a clear statement of intent that Howe is ready to attack next season head-on.