West Ham’s transfer policy in recent years has been incredibly peculiar. They have focused all of their efforts on the forward line, only to end up with a leaky backline.
The Hammers were nearly relegated last term but have bounced back tremendously this season. That being said, their bizarre recruitment policy was summed up when they sold Sebastien Haller last week.
The Frenchman was signed for a fee of £45m but then sold him for a mere £20.25m to Ajax.
Yet, there have been rare gems amongst the crowd. One of them was Dimitri Payet – another Frenchman – but his qualities vastly surpassed that of Haller’s.
The tricky attacking midfielder was a magician in East London, tearing teams apart on a regular basis and sinking some truly ridiculous free-kicks.
He was full of special moments, scoring 15 goals and registering 23 assists during the two years he was there. Everything good the Hammers did came through him, but since he left for Marseille, not a single player in the West Ham squad has been capable of producing similar moments.
However, that could be about to change. The Mirror reported over the weekend that the Irons are interested in signing Red Bull Salzburg forward Patson Daka – a man valued at around £25m.
The Zambian has an enormous degree of potential and would surely be a dream replacement for Haller. When it comes to Daka, he scores goals and he’s also lightning quick. The 22-year-old is capable of utterly embarrassing defenders with his running and ability to find the net.
Herve Renard summed him up perfectly: “He is a modern centre-forward, quick, capable of working hard and making the difference because he is skilful and has good movement."
Haller was the definition of sluggish at the London Stadium, but in the Salzburg striker, they’d have an explosive individual capable of turning a game in an instant. Although players like Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma are capable of doing the same, their records in the Premier League to date are pretty inconsistent.
Daka, on the other hand, has been breathtaking this season. Taking on the mantle left by Erling Haaland in Austria, he’s netted 15 times in just 17 outings this term, adding to the 27 strikes he scored in 2019/20.
Although he plays in a different position to Payet, in terms of replicating the exquisite individual moments, Daka could be their best acquisition since the Frenchman.
This isn’t a player to rest on his laurels. He is a fighter who would surely take the Premier League by storm. He is too dangerous a striker to flop. David Sullivan would seal a big coup here.