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West Ham United appear to be lining up a new centre-forward this summer. Marko Arnautovic's untameable craving for Chinese culture and, perhaps, a few extra quid in his pay packet have cast serious doubt on whether he will remain in east London beyond the summer, provoking plenty of reports suggesting that Manuel Pellegrini will aim to sign a new attacker in the upcoming window.

It remains to be seen whether the Austria international will depart but, even if he decides to stay, the Hammers could do with freshening up their centre-forward options.

Arnautovic doesn't have age on his side at 30 and an injection of exuberance would go some way to preparing the club for the long-term future.

According to a recent report from the London Evening Standard, the Hammers are interested in both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Maxi Gomez, but the latter is Pellegrini's number one target.

Both players have been outstanding performers at clubs entrenched in relegation battles this season. Mitro was on fire in sporadic bursts for the Cottagers, but his firepower proved nothing more than a mere beacon of hope in an otherwise torrid campaign for the west Londoners.

Gomez, however, might just have fired Celta Vigo to safety. They are three points clear of the relegation zone with just one game to play against already-relegated Rayo Vallecano and, with a superior goal-difference of six goals to 18th place Girona, it would take a truly dramatic set of circumstances to see them plummet into the second tier.

The players in question are not overly dissimilar stylistically speaking, but there exists one fundamental statistical difference which suggests the Uruguayan is the most aptly suited to Manuel Pellegrini's approach.

In terms of raw goal-per-game ratio - the statistic which serves as the greatest indicator of proficiency - Mitrovic and Gomez are difficult to separate.

Celta's talisman boasts a marginally superior record with more goals and assists in three less appearances, but it is his ability in possession of the ball which illuminates exactly why he is the club's priority target.

The 22-year-old has been trustworthy in possession, being dispossessed around just once per game on average, while his first-touch has been tight enough to ensure that he has only miss-controlled the ball twice a game on average.

Mitrovic, by comparison, has been considerably more wasteful and it's his inability to hold the ball effectively in the final-third which could ultimately swing the decision in Gomez's favour.

Fulham's crown jewel is the epitome of a rough diamond, a player who is clearly blessed with a sparkling gift but is lacking a touch of consistency to truly fulfil his potential. That is reflected in some revealing statistics and his shortcomings on the ball indicate a lack of suitability to Pellegrini's possession-based principles.

Arriving from La Liga, Gomez will have plenty to prove in English football if the Hammers successfully manage to sign him this summer, but his ability to make the ball stick at the spearhead of the attack proves he could blossom into a brilliant striker under the Chillean's stewardship.