Julen Lopetegui has acquired an excellent group of players at West Ham United, including some top-class wingers who provide a goal threat. However, one area that seems to be being targeted is the striker position.
The Hammers have had a few failed attempts at trying to acquire their figurehead upfront in the past, with Sebastian Haller and Gianluca Scammaca both costing hefty transfer fees – signing for £45m and £35.5m, respectively – but not living up to expectations.
But with the Premier League season fast approaching, the question is who will West Ham choose as their next striker recruit, after links in the past few days to Dortmund's Niclas Fullkrug.
West Ham transfer news
According to Italian journalist Marco Demicheli, relayed by Radio Rossonera, West Ham are among the clubs chasing AS Roma and ex-Chelsea striker, Tammy Abraham. Everton are another club said to be interested in the 26-year-old.
The reports suggest that both Premier League sides have already made the first move, making an offer to sign the striker, but nothing is done yet, as Roma have slapped a €30m (£25m) price tag on the Englishman.
There would also have to be a consideration for the marksman's reported £93k-per-week wage, with that placing him ahead of the likes of Mohammed Kudus (£90k-per-week) at the London Stadium, as per Capology.
Abraham made 12 appearances for Roma last season, coming back from a long-term injury, scoring one goal and providing one assist in 321 minutes of football.
How Abraham compares to Haller
Football Transfers' "similar players" feature compares Abraham to ex-West Ham striker, Haller, among other forwards such as Ivan Toney, Edin Dzeko and Álvaro Morata.
Haller made 54 appearances in his time at West Ham, scoring 14 goals, and providing two assists. However, since leaving the club, the 30-year-old has gone on to have meaningful spells with Ajax and now Dortmund – scoring 59 goals combined for those two prestigious sides.
Stats (per 90 mins)
Abraham
Haller
Goals
0.53
0.47
Assists
0.09
0.18
Shots Total
2.24
2.01
Shots on Target
1.15
1.11
Goals/Shot
0.21
0.21
xG
0.57
0.51
Aerials Won
2.87
5.75
To get a better understanding of the similarities, the table above compares the players' metrics over their entire senior careers, Abraham's metrics spanning over 250 matches played, and Haller's over 323 games played.
Both players rank exactly the same for goals/shot, scoring 0.21 in this metric. This highlights the players' similar level of clinical finishing, scoring one goal for just under every five shots on average. The players also take a similar volume of shots, only 0.23 shots per 90 apart (Abraham ahead with 2.24), and only 0.04 shots on target apart per 90.
Abraham does stand at 6 foot 3, a few inches taller than the 6 foot 1 frame of Haller. He even described himself as a "monster", stating Jose Mourinho was guiding him, which led to his England recall at the time.
But with so many similarities to a player who ultimately failed in his time at West Ham, can Abraham be the right man to spearhead the Hammers' attack, alongside the likes of Kudus and Jarrod Bowen?
One factor that is potentially on his side, is the fact he's done it in England before, scoring 15 goals in a Premier League season for Chelsea in 2019/20, and having a 25-goal season in the Championship for Aston Villa in 2018/19.
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ByConnor HoldenAug 1, 2024