Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque in action
West Ham United were among eight Premier League clubs who went to watch Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque on Sunday, according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.
The Lowdown: Pre-season friendly
The towering striker started for the Ligue 1 outfit in a pre-season clash at Liverpool and grabbed an assist as Strasbourg claimed a surprise 3-0 victory.
The 28-year-old forward amassed 12 goals and eight assists in 36 top-flight games last season, bringing his overall tally to an impressive 50 goals in 138 matches for the French club.
As a result of his fine form, heavy transfer speculation has emerged linking the Frenchman with a move to the Premier League this summer.
The Latest: Solhekol’s West Ham news
Solhekol has now shared the latest transfer speculation surrounding Ajorque after his side’s victory at Anfield on Sunday.
Taking to Sky Sports’ transfer centre, the chief reporter claimed:
“A player who we could be hearing a lot more from in the next couple of weeks played against Liverpool for Starsbourg at the weekend.
“He’s a striker called Ludovic Ajorque, 6ft 6in striker with a very good scoring record for them, is available for £18m.
“I’m told the clubs that watched him yesterday were Wolves, Everton, Leicester, West Ham, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Newcastle. He’s someone we might be hearing a lot more from.”
The Verdict: Strong signing
Once dubbed a ‘complete’ striker by Strasbourg boss Julien Stephan, it is easy to see why David Moyes’ scouting team were in attendance at Ajorque’s game this weekend.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 28-year-old ranks in the 97th percentile for tackles, in the 90th percentile for aerials won and in the 89th percentile for assists – he’s quite a handful up front.
The big target man would thus provide the Hammers boss with an alternative option to Gianluca Scamacca, who ranks in the 62nd percentile for aerials won, and Michail Antonio, who ranks in the 67th percentile.
His introduction perhaps as somewhat of a super-sub would allow for a change in tactics and play-style, making West Ham far more unpredictable to prepare for.
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