West Ham is keeping an eye on a prolific scorer who would be the ideal Michail Antonio replacement.
This season, West Ham’s offensive output has significantly increased, and that is due to the club making some wise hiring decisions. The well-publicized signings of James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, and Mohamed Kudus have added some quality in the final third.
Even if these are the small improvements that the Hammers wanted to make to put them in the running for European football, Michail Antonio’s replacement still needs to be found quickly.
How has Michail Antonio performed this season?
Antonio has the ideal physical attributes for a striker. He has ox-like strength, makes lung-bursting runs from behind, has the turn of speed to outrun opponents, and is strong in the air.
However, the 33-year-old’s technical skills are constrained, and when his team needs him to be the linking player and drop deeper to receive the ball, Antonio lacks the technical skills to be able to spray passes for his team and make the most of the talent around him.
When compared to his positional contemporaries in the Premier League, Antonio ranks in the bottom 35% for progressive passes, the bottom 27% for pass completion, the bottom 12% for shot-creating actions, and the bottom 4% for touches in the attacking penalty box per 90.
The technical aspects of his game may not be as important in a Moyes counterattacking system that defends in two banks of four, but clinical finishing is, and the Jamaican falls short in that area.
According to Sofascore, he has a conversion percentage of 29% and two significant opportunities lost. He ranks in the lowest 4% for shots totaled per game (1.06), the bottom 12% for non-penalty xG (0.70), and the bottom 27% for goals per 90 (0.30).
With just two goals and one assist in eight appearances for the Hammers this season, Antonio’s abilities appear to be waning, and given that he is approaching the inappropriate age of 30, replacing him should be a top priority in January.
The most effective striker in Europe, Serhou Guirassy, is one person who has been mentioned as a potential transfer to the London Stadium.
How good is Serhou Guirassy?
West Ham has established itself as a strong contender in the race to sign Stuttgart’s dynamic forward, claims Football Insider.
Top-tier English clubs are interested in the 27-year-old who is now igniting the Bundesliga.
Guirassy has been on a blazing goal-scoring rampage since moving to Germany this summer, outpacing players like Harry Kane of Bayern Munich with an astounding 13 goals in seven Bundesliga outings.
He might be the imposing striker Moyes has been looking for to enhance the Hammers’ attacking arsenal while also providing the necessary technical qualities to become an extraordinary lone forward. His scoring prowess has sent shockwaves through the Premier League.
| Leading scorers in Europe’s top five leagues | |
|---|---|
| Player | Goals scored |
| Serhou Guirassy | 13 |
| Lautaro Martinez | 10 |
| Erling Haaland | 8 |
| Harry Kane | 8 |
| Jude Bellingham | 8 |
| Stats via WhoScored. | |
The Guinean international has thrived, rivaling Kane with the precision accuracy of his passing skills, in contrast to Antonio, who has struggled when the ball is at his feet.
The “goal machine,” as the official Bundesliga website termed him, has demonstrated his technical skill by ranking in the top 15% for crucial passes, completed passes, and goal-creating actions, proving he’d be a vast improvement over Antonio.
According to TEAMtalk, his Stuttgart contract has a £17 million release clause, which would allow West Ham to sign one of the greatest deals in football.
Read More: West Ham are ready to offer €20m for January signing – Moyes’ side make contact
