On the shortlist: West Ham want £21m CF who’d be a "monster" with Paqueta
da aposte e ganhe： West Ham United have work to do after losing their Premier League opener against Aston Villa. It wasn't the start that an incensed Julen Lopetegui would have wanted but the positives were there.
da heads bet： Having lost their European membership after missing out on top six last term, West Ham have repackaged their first team with several exciting signings, though there may be more still to come.
West Ham 1-2 Aston Villa: Michail Antonio Stats
Statistic
#
Minutes played
73'
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots (on target)
2 (0)
Touches
21
Accurate passes
6/9 (67%)
Key passes
0
Dribble attempts
0/0
Total duels won
0/2
Stats via Sofascore
Against Villa, Michail Antonio flattered to deceive up, looking isolated and negligent of defensive duties. The burly Niclas Fullkrug has been signed from Borussia Dortmund in a £27m deal, but Lopetegui seems to want another striker to complete his frontline.
Well, despite a hefty summer outlay, West Ham might just have found the perfect player to strengthen Lopetegui's accord…
West Ham's search for a striker
As per Football Insider, Tammy Abraham is on West Ham's shortlist as the summer transfer window wheels into the final phase. Shooting for AS Roma, the Englishman has been transfer listed for €25m (£21m) following the signing of Artem Dovbyk from Girona.
Abraham, aged 26, spent the majority of the 2023/24 season out injured but boasts a proven goalscoring record throughout his career – with several European trophies to boot.
With efforts to sign Villa's Jhon Duran seemingly exhausted, this could be the perfect move for Lopetegui's outfit, which has its sights set on reclaiming a place on the continent.
What Tammy Abraham would bring to West Ham
Abraham has enjoyed a career laden with success, and while he has been blighted by recent misfortune, there is every chance that he would rekindle his finest form with a transfer back to the Premier League.
Tammy Abraham: Career Stats
Club
Apps (starts)
Goals
Assists
Trophies
AS Roma
119 (86)
37
13
2x
Chelsea
82 (51)
30
10
1x
Bristol City
48 (42)
26
4
0x
Aston Villa
40 (40)
26
3
1x
Swansea City
39 (21)
8
4
0x
Stats via Transfermarkt
Like Fullkrug, the former Chelsea star is rangy and effective as a focal frontman, but he is more dynamic, with sharper and breezier mobility and a creative sheen besides – indeed, across his first two Serie A campaigns, Abraham averaged one key pass per game.
And let's not forget that his maiden year in the Italian capital saw 27 goals plundered en route to triumph in the Europa Conference League, with the player remarking that his manager at the time, Jose Mourinho, had turned him into a "monster".
Standing at 6 foot 3, the 11-cap England international is indeed a towering presence but he's nimble and slippery with an intelligence to dart between the lines and latch onto threaded passes.
Now, who might West Ham have to complement that particular skill…
Imagine him & Lucas Paqueta
Lucas Paqueta's long-term future is up in the air, with the FA continuing their investigation into the Brazilian's alleged spot-fixing, but he started the current campaign with a goal, scoring from the spot on Saturday but unable to prevent his team from falling to defeat.
An elite-level player, the 26-year-old could indeed form a deadly partnership with Abraham, providing him with support to ensure that he would hit the ground running upon returning to London.
Once hailed as a "goal machine" by former youth coach Stephen Elliott, Abraham would carry the nuts and bolts of the centre-forward game into the London Stadium and would find those natural-born properties enhanced considerably by a playmaker of Paqueta's distinction.
Paqueta – who was the subject of a £80m approach from Manchester City one year ago, before the aforementioned charges materialised – ranked among the top 12% of positional peers in the Premier League last season for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 8% for tackles and the top 9% for aerial battles won per 90, as per FBref.
Those lattermost metrics are particularly eye-catching. Sure, everyone knows of the £150k-per-week phenom's creative flair, but his tenacious defensive work rate is so important for West Ham too – perhaps more so, in a way.
Encompassing the scope of the midfield game, Paqueta would make Abraham virtually unplayable with his surgical passing, and he would also enable the Roma ace to cause damage in the final third by applying tough-tackling pressure from deep.
Last season, in the Premier League, the dynamo averaged 2.3 tackles, 6.3 ball recoveries and a whopping 7.6 successful duels per game, alternating between the centre of the field and out wide on the left but invariably performing with energy and commitment.
With players like Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme signed to Lopetegui's team this summer, Paqueta will be expected to perform from a central position with regularity, thrusting forward to influence and dictate.
Fullkrug provides the steel and doggedness that can change a game, while Antonio's power and physique make him a constant threat, despite the fact that he is 34 years old.
In Abraham, though, West Ham might just find that they gain the services of a striker who can perform with a multi-skilled ability, all the while inflicting damage with a sharp shooting quality.
For a player whose "currency is goals", as was said by one-time Aston Villa boss Dean Smith, bringing Abraham back to the English top flight feels like something of a no-brainer. Lopetegui boasts a healthy mix of attacking talent, but this could be the final piece to lift the Irons to new heights.
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