West Ham United continued their impressive upward trajectory under David Moyes with a superb performance against Aston Villa at Villa Park, powering to a 4-1 win.
It was a triumph which meant they finished gameweek 10 in fourth spot, three points away from fifth-placed Manchester United, but also it was their fourth league win in 5 games and continuing their unbeaten away form so far this season.
There is plenty of excitement and optimism at the London Stadium, as David Moyes is in the process of moulding and shaping such a well-rounded, organised, fine-balanced and progressive footballing unit.
From 1st choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski right down to lone-hitman Michail Antonio, the former Everton and Manchester United boss is assembling a team seriously capable of laying down a major assault on an unprecedented top-four sport come May, and you certainly wouldn’t put it past them.
Who knows? Maybe, just maybe the Hammers could well end this campaign with their first real competitive trophy since their FA Cup triumph in 1980. The club are still involved in all their cup competitions so far after beating EFL Cup holders Manchester City to make it to the last eight.
Much of West Ham’s fine progression has not only been down to their togetherness, spirited and organised nature on the football pitch, but its a team filled with unlikely individuals playing at the top of their games, like academy product Ben Johnson – grabbing his first professional goal against Villa – Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell, Tomas Soucek, Said Benrahma and the colossal Michail Antonio up front.
But one man who just simply gets better with every passing game, continuing his stellar progression under David Moyes’ tutelage is club captain and one of England and Gareth Southgate’s trusted lieutenants Declan Rice.
The 22-year-old has been in sensational form over the last couple of campaigns but has taken his game to another level in the opening weeks of the 2021/22 campaign, with pundit and TV host Gary Lineker labelling his latest performance against Aston Villa “magnificent”.
What an excellent side @WestHam have become. Good in all areas and David Moyes deserves enormous credit for getting them in this position. Many good performances with @_DeclanRice magnificent again, and he’s still only 22. 👏🏻👏🏻
Rice has been central to West Ham’s impressive start to the campaign, putting in some superb performances from midfield alongside Tomas Soucek.
“I don’t think he’s been consistent enough. He doesn’t stay with runners. He’s sloppy in possession… I can go on.” This was the grueling assessment from Roy Keane on Rice in November 2019. But two years on, the Irishman has been forced to eat his previous words and completely alter his assessment of the midfielder: “He’s 22 and I look at where I was when I was 22, and he’s way ahead of me.”
Rightly so, Declan Rice has developed into one of Europe’s most prestigious young midfielders in the space of about a year, or even inside this calendar year. The Hammers academy product has dramatically improved all aspects of his play, in his defensive work but most significantly in his distribution and ball-progression.
Rice has been the catalyst for much of West Ham’s efficient and devastating counter-attacking goals so far this campaign, and earned the treat of contributing to two of West Ham’s four goals against Aston Villa, setting up Ben Johnson for the opener and taking advantage of Emiliano Martinez’ poor positioning with a 25-yard piledriver into the bottom corner – a true reflection of the kind of confidence and elegant aura that the 22-year-old is currently performing from.
In actual fact, it’s difficult to pin-down Declan Rice’s best role, and that’s testament to the varied quality of the midfielder.
In previous campaigns, the midfielder has been defined as a deep-lying defensive midfielder, tasked in shielding his back-four, disrupting opposition attacking moves while recycling possession to his more forward-thinking teammates.
However, Rice’s game has transcended much beyond that, he is a hybrid midfielder fulfilling a number of roles and duties within the Hammers midfield, its no wonder Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly stepping up their interest in the so-called “£100m man”.
This season, Rice has maintained and excelled in his defensive anchoring duties. He’s averaged 2.9 interceptions per 90 minutes so far this campaign, the most of any midfielder in the Premier League. Also, the 22-year-old has won on average 1.60 tackles per 90 minutes, 2.00 blocks, 1.10 clearances and completed 4.30 successful pressures.
Although Rice’s defensive work has been correctly lauded prior to this season, it’s something that he has improved upon further since the summer, and his first major international tournament for his country has proven a pivotal experience in his outstanding development.
Though one aspect in which Rice is totally excelling is his distribution of the ball, and he recognises it himself: “This season, one thing I can definitely say I have improved on is my play with the ball.” This is why it is now hard to pin down the English international’s best role – a box-to-box, or deep-lying playmaker? And that’s not a bad thing, in fact its a celebration of how far the midfielder has come under David Moyes.
Rather than simply a defensive midfield anchor, Rice has transformed his passing ability of late. He’s completed 608 passes – the 3rd most of any midfielder in the Premier League behind Manchester City’s Rodri (632) and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson (635). Also, his contributions to West Ham’s possession play in dissecting defences is simply brilliant too.
He averages 1.20 key passes per 90, 6.80 final-third passes – the third most of any midfielder in the competition also – and 4.20 progressive passes (completed passes which moves the ball towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its furthest point).
Even more impressively, this has been achieved with a 91% passing accuracy, a figure 5% higher than last season. The West Ham vice-captain has for a long time been considered someone that plays the easy pass. However, the stats clearly show that has not been the case this season.
He also has the 2nd highest figure of Premier League midfielders for total progressive distance of passes. Compared to last season, Rice is making 1.5 more progressive passes per 90. So whilst Rice’s passing accuracy has improved from last season, he is actually making far more progressive, risky passes, making his improved passing accuracy all the more impressive.
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Furthermore, his dribbling of the ball, progressing his side up the pitch or evading opponent’s pressure has also represented a stand-out feature of his game. As shown in the image above, according to OptaJoe, only Bernardo Silva has amassed more progressive carries (110) than Rice’s 106 which makes for yet another pleasing reading for the English international.
Per 90, that reads at 7.40 progressive carries, whilst also averaging 3.20 progressive carries into the attacking areas of the pitch. Rice is a driving force, a true metronomic figure on the ball for West Ham whilst also becoming a dominant, sturdy and tough-tackling figure when defending his own goal.
Most notably, Rice’s ability to carry the ball up the pitch can be seen in his remarkable solo goal against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League. After intercepting the ball inside his own half, he shrugs off a challenge before marauding into the Zagreb box and firing past Livakovic. Rice’s headed goal against Rapid Wien signalled the Englishman’s newfound intent to break the lines and get into the box.
Compared to last campaign, Rice is managing more touches all over the pitch highlighting his ever-increasing contributions to West Ham’s play. He’s so far recorded three goals and three assists so far in all competitions. Defensive midfielder? Surely not.
Declan Rice has basically become a machine at positioning himself to shield the defence, making the required interception/tackle and then playing a simple but effective forward pass to break through opposition pressure and set up attacks.
Clearly, he is now more intent and confident in joining the attack while Soucek screens behind him, and vice-versa. It is why both Soucek and Rice have become arguably the Premier League’s most effective and cohesive midfield pivot, and that is a testament to the squad David Moyes is assembling at the London Stadium.
After all, he did a brilliant job of anchoring the England midfield during the recent European Championships in June/July. However, so far this season Rice has elevated his game once again. Not only has he built upon his screening work in front of the defence, but also his ball progression and contributions to West Ham’s attacking play.
Whether it’s his powerful, driving runs or his crisp passing through the lines, Rice has developed his play on the ball considerably. West Ham now have a unique talent – a hybrid player and arguably one of the most complete midfielders in European football right now.
The West Ham faithful will be waiting in much anticipation this summer for the club to sound out the arrival of fresh blood arriving at the London Stadium and is they go in pursuit of further progress under David Moyes next season.
And for a long while, the club’s recent transfer track record in the market will inspire much optimism rather than pessimism. Ever since David Moyes returned for a second spell in December 2019, West Ham have somewhat tasted improvement in all areas of the club as well as a major transformation on the pitch.
Last season was one of great success, qualifying for the Europa League finishing in an astonishing sixth place, playing some great football, wowing the fans and finally delivering what the Hammers fans have been praying about for a very long while.
David Moyes has successfully moulded this team into his image, like the Everton side he built to destroy the order of the ‘top six’ and maintain that positioning on a regular basis. He has started off the same formula in East London, and is now on course to achieve the same feat for West Ham, and much of that has been down to their shrewd recruitment and ethos behind the scenes.
Little was known of Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal when they arrived from the waters of Czech Republic and the individual reputations and values in just about a year have rocketed since. There were initial reservations about the signing of Craig Dawson but he shone through. Jarrod Bowen proved a promising recruit also, adding a much needed directness and dynamism in West Ham’s attacking play – while you get the impression the best is yet to come from Said Benrahma, who joined from Brentford.
Moyes has expressed extensively that he wishes to spend carefully this summer as he aims to navigate West Ham’s progress and balance between both domestic football and in Europe. In order for that to happen, the Hammers are going to need strength in numbers, most notably at centre back, attacking midfield or central midfield and up-front.
So who could David Moyes be targeting this summer?
Centre-back the priority?
Fabian Balbuena’s three-year spell at the club ends at the end of June when his contract expires, which will leave Issa Diop, Angela Ogbonna and the now-permanently-signed Craig Dawson as Moyes’ only recognised defenders. Frederik Alves, 21, was signed in January from Danish side Silkeborg, but it seen as a player for the future and will most likely go out on loan, so a summer centre-back recruit is hugely key for David Moyes:
Axel Tuanzebe,Manchester United (on-loan)
(Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
West Ham desperately need options in the centre of defence, and Manchester United are willing to allow Axel Tuanzebe a loan move away from his hometown club this summer. It’s a potential move which makes a lot of sense which means the Hammers must be front and centre to secure his temporary signature before the season restarts.
It’s clear Axel Tuanzebe needs opportunities to showcase his undeniable abilities and David Moyes’ side would provide him with the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself. This isn’t just any Championship loan-move for Tuanzebe, its a Premier League loan move at an established, ever-progressive club in West Ham.
The 23-year-old will be given the freedom and room to develop even further, get the necessary game time but more importantly prove that he has what it takes to make the grade at Old Trafford on a permanent basis. Solskjaer is reportedly on the market for another high-calibre centre-back which means a loan-move for Tuanzebe will be much more helpful for his own development. A move to East London would be perfect as it means Moyes can loan in a centre-back but also go on to purchase one too.
Tuanzebe has been spoken about in extremely high regard since coming through the Man United academy, but it feels like the best is yet to come from him.
He’s a centre-back by trade with unbelievable pace, decent aerial prowess, great reading of the game and a composure in his build-up play that can see him match even the best defenders in the league if provided with the opportunity. Additionally, he can slot in at right-back if needed.
West Ham boss David Moyes should try all he can to call in a favour at former employers Man United to bring Tuanzebe to the London Stadium.
It could turn out to be a brilliant deal for whoever gets him.
He’s got some European experience under his belt and will get even more next season if this move materialises, and there is every chance he could improve the Hammers XI.
James Tarkowski, Burnley
Burnley’s James Tarkowski has long been a key target of West Ham’s and Leicester City too. With his contract coming to an end at the end of next season, a long-awaited departure from Turf Moor seems all the more likely.
West Ham had a £30million bid for the defender turned down last summer, and will almost certainly get him for much cheaper than that figure providing they maintain a strong interest in him.
Tarkowski has been a consistent performer for Burnley in his five seasons since arriving from Brentford.
It’s about time Tarkowski is rewarded with the move he deserves, with no disrespect to Burnley, he’s simply too good to be a relegation-battling defender every year and a move to East London may represent the perfect step-up for him.
Tarkowski absolutely fits the bill as a vastly experienced and consistent performer in the big time. The 6 foot 1 colossus has made over 150 appearances in the Premier League since joining the Clarets in February 2016.
This season, he displayed his solid attributes once again, rating out as Sean Dyche’s highest-rated player (7.02) with 25 or more starts, as per WhoScored ratings. That eclipses all of the Hammers’ current central defensive options, with Angelo Ogbonna sitting top on 6.73.
The Burnley beast is also clear for aerials won (4.6) and tackles (1.8) per game during the 2020/21 campaign, only further suggesting that his ability at the back is better than what Moyes has at his disposal and provides further reasoning to why he might be the very man to build around.
James Tarkowski is a remarkably astute defender, regularly standing out amongst Burnley’s defenders alongside Ben Mee. Strong, combative, a true leader, a fantastic reader of the game, dominant in the air and also a threat from attacking corners too.
West Ham should be all over him again this summer, they may not get another opportunity to secure one of the most underrated centre-backs in the English top-flight.
Nikola Milenkovic, Fiorentina
Another centre-back who should and will be on David Moyes’ list of priorities this summer is Fiorentina’s giant centre-back and Serbian international Nikola Milenkovic.
The talented centre-back is into the final season of his contract with the Viola, which expires in June 2022, and seems to have no intention of signing an extension at the Stadio Franchi, which means he may come conveniently cheap for West Ham but yet another potential shrewd piece of business.
Milenkovic is a huge defender at 6ft 5in tall, possessing great size and strength, but also the ability on the ball to play as a right back when needed.
Aerially, Milenkovic is incredibly strong. On average per 90 minutes last season, he won 3.1 aerial duels highlighting his imposing and intimidating figure.
In Serie A, he managed 3.6 clearances per game and his physical strength would likely be an upgrade on any of the options David Moyes has at his disposal.
Milenkovic has been highly regarded over the past couple seasons as one of the most talented young centre-backs across the continent and it is thought that Premier League may just provide him with the perfect opportunity to finally deliver on that promise.
More Options in Centre-Midfield?
A central midfielder and an attacking midfielder are near the top of Moyes’ wanted list.
Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are almost certainly going to need back-up. Mark Noble is in his final season and will almost certainly play a bit-part role this season. Manuel Lanzini has shown he’s more than capable of performing in a much deeper role for West Ham, but neither of them offer any real competition for Soucek and Rice.
The Central-midfield role is certainly an area David Moyes will need to look at, especially due to their Europa League commitments, more bodies are needed:
Sander Berge, Sheffield United
(Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Sheffield United paid a then-club record £22million in January 2020 to bring Norwegian international Sander Berge to Bramall Lane, and for the first few months, that record deal looked a snip as Berge established himself as a future star, putting some stunning performances in what was a tremendous first campaign back in the Premier League for the club and then-manager Chris Wilder.
Fast forward just over a year though and Berge is now a Championship player, having missed half of the 2020/21 campaign due to injury and in that time the Blades faltered, ultimately leading to their relegation. Arguably, they missed his immeasurable and assured presence in midfield as Sheffield United’s fate was ultimately sealed just after the new year.
With the amount of money he cost the club and being a Norwegian international, Berge was always going to attract interest this summer and West Ham should certainly throw their name in the hat to secure his signature. Of course, Berge will not come cheap but in all fairness he is simply too good to be playing Championship football. West Ham must save him from that plight.
United will be demanding at least £35 million for their prized asset despite them being a Championship club now but it would still represent smart business. As stated previously, Rice and Soucek need back-up, and Berge would immediately strengthen Moyes’ midfield adding power, size, steel and an impressive pedigree.
Berge combines a mix of good tackling abilities with the attacking awareness to carry the ball upfield, and even though he’s incredibly tall and powerful he’s not slow when he’s dribbling up the pitch. The Norwegian is a superb outlet on the ball, graced with such good footballing feet, a smart footballing brain and prowess that fellow midfielders cannot live with.
Moyes loves those type of players, and Sander Berge physique-wise is a throw-back to a certain footballer called Maourane Fellaini, remember him?
Granting Berge returns to full fitness pretty quickly, West Ham should not be the only Premier League club looking to bring the talented Sander Berge back into the big time.
Ruben Neves, Wolverhampton Wanderers
This may seem a far-fetched move seeing as Ruben Neves has been in talks with Arsenal over the past few weeks. But West Ham can offer Ruben Neves something Arsenal can’t, European football.
The Portuguese midfielder is Premier League proven, and sometimes doesn’t get the credit he deserves. A few Arsenal fans have stated their reservations over signing Neves, which doesn’t make sense. The midfielder is simply good enough to be playing for a top six Premier League club, and that’s West Ham.
Ruben Neves has become a serial leader and a key figure since his move to Wolves in 2017 and he’d be a tremendous capture for David Moyes. Superb long-raking passes, vision, technical qualities, good positional awareness, tactical understanding and a desire that so few midfielders can match.
He’d be a welcome addition to the Hammers cause, seeing as they require options in the middle of the pitch. The Portuguese midfielder would add yet another dimension to West Ham, the ability to find more forward thinking players with pinpoint passes from deep, a valuable string to David Moyes’ bow.
The 25-year-old ranked fifth across the Premier League for tackles won in 2020/21 and could be the upgrade in central midfield that the Hammers need in order to reach that coveted next level.
Teun Koopmeiners, AZ Alkmaar
Unquestionably, one of the most exciting and talented young midfielders in Europe right now, Teun Koopmeiners has been one of the hot topic of transfer rumours over the past few months.
Linked with a whole host of top clubs, including Arsenal, Liverpool, AS Roma, Atalanta, Leeds United, Inter Milan, Everton and AS Monaco, the man who joined AZ Alkmaar at 11 appears destined to leave his beloved club. If David Moyes holds any ambitions of propelling West Ham in competing with the elite, then signing a player of Koopmeiners’ mould and abilities is just the ingredient they need.
Having gained so much experience in Europe and domestically over his 150 appearances, there’s no doubting he’s now ready to make the step up to one of the top five European leagues.
Adaptable and familiar with a range of systems, the 23-year-old’s primarily deployed as a central midfielder, but is perfectly capable of dropping back to act as a central defender, where his quality on the ball helps massively during AZ Alkmaar’s build up play.
Koopmeiners is a true metronome on the ball, controlling possession, dictating the tempo of games and providing his team with the rhythm they need to breach opposing defences.
So comfortable and composed in possession, his exceptional distribution ensures he’s proficient at dictating passing passages and breathing life into attacks. Such an expert at helping his team beat the press with his penetrative line breaking passing, this means he can remove multiple opponents with a single pass.
It’s clear, West Ham need options in the midfield and possessing the qualities of Koopmeiners means West Ham can also mix up their play. Rather than beating teams on the counter, they can also triumph against rigid defences. Players of Koopmeiners abilities commonly have the propensity to tip the scales in their team’s favour, how West Ham could possess a player like that in their squad?
Attacking Midfielder
Jesse Lingard, Manchester United
Getting Jesse Lingard back in East London should be the top priority for David Moyes.
After a stunning 5 months at the London Stadium, scoring 9 goals in 16 appearances, Jesse Lingard left West Ham craving and desiring more of his exhilarating performances on a more permanent basis for next season and David Moyes is desperate to make that happen this summer.
That ambition will depend on how much Manchester United may demand in terms of his expected fee which is believed to be around £30million.
Lingard wants regular football and it is thought his first choice would be to remain at the London Stadium permanently. Lingard has one year left on his current deal at Old Trafford, and West Ham will hope that will lower United’s asking price for the midfielder.
Manchester United signing Jadon Sancho could quicken a deal for Lingard to move on and West Ham will expect that to be pretty soon.
David Moyes knows the qualities Lingard brings and he proved just that, towards the end of the last campaign bringing such a dynamic and ruthless cutting edge to West Ham’s attacking play helping the club seal an unprecedented spot in the Europa League for next season.
There’s no doubt he’d bring a lot more to West Ham if a more permanent move does materialise this summer, and he’d get the appreciation and game time his talents deserve.
Matheus Pereira, West Bromwich Albion
(Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
How Matheus Pereira is still a West Brom player right now is absolutely criminal. It’ll be even more absurd if he isn’t snapped up by a Premier League club come the start of the new Sky Bet Championship season.
To put it simply, West Brom’s Brazilian maestro is simply too good to be playing Championship football right now, which means David Moyes should be all over signing him this summer – if he can’t get in Jesse Lingard.
Despite West Brom’s demise last season suffering yet another relegation from the English top-flight, it was a remarkable breakthrough season for their star man, Pereira. The midfielder notched an astonishing 11 goals, and 6 assists from 33 Premier League outings last term.
If there’s one thing the club could shout about over the past year, its the emergence of such a wonderfully gifted midfielder. The previous campaign – his first in English football – he hit 8 goals and laid on 16 assists which is simply extraordinary. The 25-year-old Brazilian is a creative machine, a serial goal contributor.
If West Ham harbour any serious ambitions for next season, they must acquire the services of Matheus Pereira.
Blessed with such superb vision, awesome technique, silky passing and a wand of a left boot. The midfielder basically carried West Brom on his back last season, even if they suffered relegation. It’s clear, Pereira deserves another shot at the top-level, and even the luxury of playing European football may do his development the world of good. There’s probably no environment better to express himself again than at West Ham.
West Brom have recently made it clear that the Brazilian will not come cheap, but any Premier League club who invests in Pereira’s future will get more than what they paid for, in return. A superb footballer.
Julian Brandt, Borussia Dortmund
West Ham will be playing European football for the first time in a while next season, so they’ll need players with European pedigree and know-how.
There probably isn’t a better player available for transfer that can provide that than Borussia Dortmund’s midfield maestro Julian Brandt. The German outfit are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Brandt, after his game time last season decreased, making 14 of his 31 appearances from the substitutes bench and as a result hampering his place in the German squad for this summer’s Euros.
Brandt still managed to hit 4 goals and 2 assists from his 22 starts, but its clear he needs a new lease life playing regular football and getting back to his best. The German international at his best is a welcome sight even for the Dortmund faithful. The 25-year-old is blessed with extraordinary technical acumen, superb vision, creativity, the ability to operate in tight areas and qualities on the ball that makes him so difficult to mark.
Despite his decreased time on the pitch, Julian Brandt is still ridiculously creative, averaging 1.81 key passes, 3.61 final third passes and impressive 4.03 shot-creating actions (the two offensive directly leading to a shot such as passes, dribbles and drawing fouls) per 90 minutes. Brandt is hugely versatile, possessing the ability to operate smartly and efficiently wherever he is tasked in playing.
Either from the left-wing, right-wing, at no.10, or as a creative no. eight, Julian Brandt could give a lot of teams the opportunity to be tactically flexible and its one David Moyes would be significantly smart in pursuing.
STRIKER
The Hammers are in desperate need of a goalscorer with only Michail Antonio on their roster. At times last season, they were forced to play Jesse Lingard as a false-9 due to Antonio’s recurring injuries. Still, Moyes managed the situation right to the end of the campaign, however, there is a case to argue that if West Ham possessed a true number 9, they will have finished much higher in the Premier League table.
This lack of a consistent goalscorer is a continuous theme for West Ham over the years and has got to be addressed quickly so who could David Moyes be looking at?
Patrick Schick, Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrick Schick underwent a tremendous campaign at Euro 2020, with 5 goals in as many games, putting Scotland and Holland to the sword on Czech Republic’s way to an unprecedented quarter-final appearance in the competition. The 25-year-old has significantly provided a strong reminder this summer of what he’s all about, becoming a brute force in the Czech’s attack while also showcasing his potency in front of goal.
Coming off the back of a 13-goal season for Bayer Leverkusen, the forward’s representatives will certainly be fielding a few calls for his signature this summer and he’d be the perfect candidate to lead the West Ham line next season. After a failed move to Roma from Sampdoria in 2017, the forward has picked himself up again enjoying tremendous seasons on-loan at RB Leipzig from Roma last season (hitting 10 league goals in 22 outings) and at Bayer Leverkusen scoring 13 in 36 in all appearances.
5 goals in 5 games at the Euros, making him the joint top-scorer in the tournament so far despite Czech Republic’s defeat to Denmark in the quarter-finals.
Schick could be a superb focal point for West Ham, giving them a strong and bullish outlet, also improving on his goal return with creative forces behind him as he’s showing this summer. He’s got international teammates in Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal at West Ham, and they will surely be persuading David Moyes to recruit Schick’s services.
Tammy Abraham, Chelsea
According to various reports, Chelsea are willing to listen for offers for striker Tammy Abraham in the region of £40million which seems such a hefty for a player they want to quickly offload. However, whoever manages to get in the striker will reap much of the benefits.
No matter what Thomas Tuchel thinks about him, Tammy Abraham is a tremendously gifted young striker, and a player who will deliver if he is given the opportunity and the belief to thrive.
David Moyes is a manager who gives his players the confidence to express themselves, especially those who have undergone difficulties at previous clubs. If you need any examples just ask Jesse Lingard. Abraham needs a new lease of life and he’ll get the perfect environment and opportunity at West Ham. He’ll be playing Europa League football which will be decent for him to showcase his qualities once again.
Abraham has proven himself at the top level, having been Chelsea’s top scorer during the 2019/20 campaign, scoring 15 goals in 34 Premier League games and despite his reduced game time, he was still amongst the top scorers at Stamford Bridge. He has Champions League experience and has played for England six times, scoring one goal, and was on course to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the European Championships before Tuchel succeeded Frank Lampard in January.
Chelsea are reportedly on the look out for a top quality striker this summer, and Abraham clearly doesn’t fit into Tuchel’s plans in the near future. He needs game time to develop further and get back to his best form, Abraham will get just that at the London Stadium. With the opportunity and room to succeed, Abraham may deliver 20+ goals, how West Ham have needed a goal scorer like that for a long while.
Borja Mayoral, Real Madrid
Real Madrid are in a state of flux this summer, and clearly need to offload a number of their players to raise funds for potential transfers this summer. Borja Mayoral is certainly a name on that list, but there’s no doubt he could be a stunning recruit for any club of West Ham’s standing.
AS Roma reportedly won’t exercise their option to purchase him permanently, even though he enjoyed an impressive spell at the Stadio Olimpico last season, scoring 17 goals in 45 appearances. That’s a decent record for a player who spent most of the campaign making appearances from the bench, playing second fiddle to the evergreen Edin Dzeko.
Like Tammy Abraham above, Mayoral is a player who needs the confidence and belief of his manager to thrive as he showed last year under Paulo Fonseca. Real Madrid don’t believe in his abilities right now, but there’s clubs out there who will appreciate him. West Ham are short of cheap striking options out there and Mayoral represents the ideal acquisition currently.
A neat and swift forward, Mayoral showed how potent he can be at Roma, provided the perfect foil and alternative to Edin Dzeko, imagine what he could do playing week-in, week-out with quality creators and astute operators around him.
Roman Yaremchuk, Gent
If David Moyes can take any solace from this summers Euros, despite Scotland’s early exit, is that he now has more striking options he can consider to recruit to the London Stadium. Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick is one of them, as suggested above, but another impressive candidate is Ukraine’s hitman Roman Yaremchuk, who certainly lifted a few eyebrows during Ukraine’s route to the quarter-finals.
As well as his two goals during the tournament, he enjoyed a thrilling campaign for Belgian outfit Gent last season, scoring 23 goals, and recording seven assists. West Ham are reportedly interested in his services, and are in desperate need of a real focal point in attack. Roman Yaremchuk looks the ideal candidate alongside Schick.
A tall, powerful and surprisingly quick forward despite his lean frame, the Ukrainian hitman is still only 25, and as he’s proven this summer, he has what it takes to challenge the best defences in Europe. West Ham’s record of acquiring strikers in recent years isn’t good enough, and would need to scour long and hard for the right fit, but Yaremchuk is a striker worth taking a big risk on. He seems ready for the next level in Europe, and the Premier League may just prove the perfect test for a striker of his admirable qualities.
anthonyscouts.co.uk 