LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: David Moyes the manager / head coach of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Leeds United at London Stadium on May 21, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)
West Ham: Moyes could ditch Antonio for £33m-rated machine
West Ham could make a surprise swoop for a Chelsea striker.
West Ham United have gotten off to a great start in the Premier League this term.
A solid draw away to AFC Bournemouth was followed by a stunning win against Chelsea last weekend, ensuring that Mauricio Pochettino still has to wait for his first win.
Recent signing James Ward-Prowse was excellent in the 2-1 win, grabbing two assists and it clearly justified manager David Moyes’ decision to spend £30m in order to lure him from relegated outfit, Southampton.
Although he endured a slow start to his transfer activity during the summer window, it appears as though the Scotsman is making up for lost time, and he has already signed Edson Alvarez and defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, along with the aforementioned Englishman.
Could Moyes be about to complete his most ambitious deal yet, however?
Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has been linked with the Hammers…
Could West Ham United sign Romelu Lukaku?
According to Caught Offside, the Irons have ‘asked for information’ regarding a potential swoop for the Belgian striker before the transfer window closes.
Having already sold Italian frontman Gianluca Scamacca, Moyes is looking rather short in terms of out-and-out strikers and a move for the Chelsea titan, while ambitious, certainly makes a lot of sense.
He is currently valued by FootballTransfers at €38.3m (£33m), although no fee has been mentioned as yet with regard to any potential transfer.
Could Romelu Lukaku improve West Ham United?
Last season, only three players at the club scored more than ten goals and only one of them was a striker – Michail Antonio.
The Jamaican international netted 14 goals across all competitions, and although this tally was actually one more than the previous term, at 33 years of age, Moyes surely won’t have long left to utilise him.
Lukaku could not only offer Moyes more in terms of attacking quality, but it may also give him the licence to ditch Antonio in the process.
Indeed, when compared to positional peers, the 30-year-old ranked in the top 2% for assists per 90 (0.32) while also ranking in the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.21) and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90 (8.69), clearly suggesting that he can set up teammates often while also getting into the best positions to score plenty of goals.
In contrast, Antonio fails to even rank in the top 30% when compared to peers for all three metrics, indicating that the Belgian would be an instant upgrade.
The former Inter Milan hitman has scored a total of 270 club career goals, adding another 75 for his national side, whereas Antonio has netted 124 goals and it’s evident who would be the bigger danger in front of goal.
Defender Leanardo Bonucci has previously lauded the player, saying:
“Romelu Lukaku has proven himself to be a complete striker. He can win games on his own. When you come up against him you have to be switched on for 100 minutes a game.
“Unfortunately for us defenders, we can’t disengage our brains even for 10 seconds because those 10 seconds might be lethal. You must never engage Lukaku in a physical battle or play touch-tight. Instead, be ready to drop off because when his team has the ball, he will try to run in behind.
“In the box, he’s great at playing man-to-man so you need to be on the front foot, try to read the game and play hard. If you let him take up a position and he gets ahead of you, you won’t be able to step out and anticipate what’s coming.”
There is no doubt he could improve West Ham and after a difficult year or two, a fresh start under Moyes at the London Stadium could be the ideal remedy for him to recapture his best form.
