In their last Premier League game, West Ham United secured a hard-fought victory over Chelsea at the London Stadium.
Michail Antonio started the game as a lone striker, and his hold-up play, endless running, and inexplicable physicality was rounded off by an excellent second-half goal to allow his side to retake the lead.
However, with the Irons playing juggling another year of domestic and European football, coupled with Gianluca Scamacca’s swift departure back to Italy, manager David Moyes requires more options than the veteran Jamaican and the uninfluential Danny Ings.
As a result, West Ham have been linked with an extremely exciting prospect…
What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?
According to a recent print edition of the Sunday Mirror (via West Ham Zone), the east Londoners are facing competition from Fulham for the signature of Paris Saint-Germain’s Hugo Ekitike.
The French juggernaut is willing to listen to offers of around £30m for the striker, but Fulham are an interested party following the sale of Aleksandar Mitrovic to Saudi Arabia for a ‘club record transfer fee.’
The Cottagers are looking to immediately reinvest, but due to the uncertainty surrounding West Ham’s attack, they view the 21-year-old as a viable option.
Would Hugo Ekitike be a good signing for West Ham?
Ekitke started at the Reims academy in 2013 and made his senior debut for the club in October 2020.
During his development, Reims reserve team coach Franck Chalencon was quick to recognise his talent and said:
“Very young, we saw a huge potential, something natural, with a feeling for scoring a goal.
“His main quality? His instinct for goal. It’s very rare that Hugo plays a game without creating a chance himself at any occasion. In front of the goal, his ratio is excellent. But he’s not only a striker, he can play on the wing, too. Very technical.”
In the 2021/22 season, the youngster emphatically proved Chalencon’s claims and was Reims’ top scorer in Ligue 1 with ten goals in 15 starts.
At the end of that campaign, Ekitike’s former manager Oscar Garcia was enamoured by the youngster and added:
“There is something very special about him. He’s a young man with a lot of quality.”
As a result, the Frenchman secured a loan move to PSG with a €35m (£30m) option to turn the deal into a permanent transfer.
In his first season in the capital, Ekitike netted four goals in 32 matches, whilst starting just 14 games. Despite the activation of a permanent move, he has reportedly been told he can depart.
Therefore, the £80k-per-week livewire could be an extremely useful asset for West Ham as he ranks within the top 3% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for assists per 90, as well as the highest 24% for successful take-ons per 90.
Ekitike’s signing could massively relieve the burden on Antonio, who requires support to lead the line. Moreover, this possible move could afford Moyes a different attacking option, by pairing the duo as conventional front two, with Antonio as the dominant focal point and Ekitike thriving off his elder’s dogged work-rate.
Whatever Moyes’ plan, the attacker could be a pivotal piece of depth for a side searching for more European glory and a higher domestic finish.
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