Considering the number of links to forwards such as Maxi Gomez and Gonzalo Higuain, the hunt for a new marksman at West Ham United appears to be a priority for the club.
With Marko Arnautovic, Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez all having left the London Stadium this summer, it has become even more important for the men in claret and blue to bring someone in who can get goals.
Having missed out on Gómez, the Hammers could turn their attention to Brentford frontman Neal Maupay, according to Football Insider.
If there is one thing Maupay showed last season, it’s that he can hit the back of the net. The 22-year-old ended the 2018/19 campaign with an impressive 28 goals from 46 starts and three substitute appearances in all competitions.
What will also be encouraging about this is the variety of his goals (have a further look on YouTube), as he scored some in eye-catching style, while there were also plenty of predatory and instinctive finishes.
West Ham’s main striker at the moment is Javier Hernandez, who also comes alive in the box – having scored seven goals in 14 starts and 11 substitute appearances last campaign – though he can struggle to make an impact in other areas or bring teammates into the game.
For example, while Hernandez made just 0.2 key passes per league game last season, Maupay managed 1.3 per match in the Championship.
Football Insider‘s report claims Brentford have told West Ham they would need to pay in excess of £15 million to sign Maupay, which could be worth it from a Hammers point of view.
At 22-years-old, the Frenchman has time to grow as a player, while he can already get the ball in the back of the net – a trait which the Hammers desperately need. Football Whispers spoke of his pace as one of his main attributes, a raw tool that could be useful when latching onto to any key pass from the likes of Felipe Anderson (who averaged 1.8 a game per WhoScored) and company.
However, this could be a hard move to pull off, as Aston Villa are the frontrunners according to Alan Nixon. Also, West Ham seemingly still haven’t committed to one striker, with ExWHUEmployee claiming a move is being made for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Sebastien Haller, while Sport (via Sport Witness) have reported interest in Borja Iglesias.
Hammers, would you take Maupay this season? Join the discussion by commenting below…
