This month, David Moyes might be able to bring in another player.
After losing to Bristol City in the FA Cup and drawing with Sheffield United and Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, West Ham United has not had a good start to 2024.
Nevertheless, with the team having progressed to the Europa League knockout stage and presently sitting in sixth place in the Premier League, above teams like Manchester United and Chelsea, David Moyes’ team has plenty to cheer about as the 2023–24 season draws to a close.
In addition, Kalvin Phillips, a six-month loanee from Manchester City, has just joined the team to provide some strength and depth to the middle of the park.
That said though, offensive phenoms Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta are both currently nursing injuries and Moyes appears eager to secure an exciting finish to the transfer window.
West Ham eyeing late January swoop
Now that Phillips is signed, it’s certain that the Irons want to add a new attacking option, and Argentine playmaker Pablo Fornals is a late target for Real Betis of Spain.
Therefore, West Ham may utilize the money received from the sale of Fornal to finalize their pursuit of teenage winger Ibrahim Osman. According to the Guardian, West Ham may make a second attempt to sign the Nordsjaelland youngster before the end of the month. Although the Hammers have already had one bid turned down, they very well could make another one.
The Danish outfit are understood to be holding out for a €20m (£17m) package and the London club will now need to ensure they recuperate funds from player sales before sealing the deal.
Why West Ham want Ibrahim Osman
Osman, 19, has made 29 appearances across all competitions this season, recording four goals and five assists. His quick speed and impact during attacking sequences have drawn attention.
In fact, according to Sofascore, Osman has averaged 1.2 crucial passes, 3.1 ball recoveries, 5.6 successful duels, and 2.6 successful dribbles per game in his 16 games (14 starts) in the Danish Superliga this season. He has also scored one goal and supplied four assists.
Osman has a lean, athletic build, quickness, and an inherent weaving quality that might be developed in east London, but he does not have the same cutting edge in his finishing ability.
Osman has reportedly been watched by Arsenal and Brighton, and Moyes may feel pressure to finalize a deal because manager Johannes Thorup has been open about the fact that the rising star will be difficult to hold onto following such promising early efforts on the big stage.
He said of the 5 foot 9 whiz: “He is a fast winger and striker, and I have huge expectations for him to be skilled. He has the pace which is important for us to have on at least one of our strikers. I don’t want to say that he has to take over for someone, but people can probably figure out that there is a player who is really good for us in the Super League, who might be really hard to keep.”
Given that West Ham star Mohammed Kudus bloomed from the same academy, it might be wise for Moyes to secure the next version of the Ghanaian machine, with the summer signing very much riding the crest of a wave since arriving at the London Stadium.
Ibrahim Osman could be Mohammed Kudus 2.0
After winning the Europa Conference League the previous season, the Hammers signed Kudus in August in a £38 million deal to improve their attacking line. Kudus was formerly with Ajax.
Kudus is in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for goals scored over the previous season, in the top 13% for successful take-ons, the top 3% for tackles, and the top 14% for blocks per 90 minutes, according to FBref.
The 23-year-old was only occasionally used in the first few weeks of his Claret and Blue career, but he has since flourished, scoring nine goals in 24 appearances across all competitions while only making 17 starts.
The African journalist Gary Al-Smith has even referred to him as a “generational talent.” He is full of energy and deadliness, and if West Ham can sign a player along these lines, the offense can only get better.
Osman, who plays on the left, and Kudus, a right winger, operate on opposite flanks, thus this signing may result in a partnership that intimidates opponents as Osman reaps the benefits of his fellow Nordsjaelland academy graduate’s labors.
Osman and Kudus are very different in terms of their clinicality, but Osman does have some fascinating similarities. In the Premier League, Osman averages 5.8 ball recoveries, 7.1 successful duels, and 2.6 successful dribbles per match.
With Fornals rumored to be leaving and Said Benrahma linked to a move after starting just five games in the English premier league this year, West Ham could certainly benefit from this lightning-fast pace down the left flank, especially with French clubs circling.
Even if West Ham had a sluggish start to the year, there is plenty to be excited about in the upcoming months, and Osman’s acquisition would be the ideal way to close the window.
