David Sullivan should seal a West Ham United swoop for RB Leipzig striker Hwang Hee-chan amid claims the Irons are very hot on the South Korean’s situation.
What’s the word?
According to ExWHUemployee, while speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, David Moyes is working on up to three transfers approaching the February 1st deadline.
The Hammers are keen to finalise a deal for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard to move to the London Stadium on loan, plus Hwang and the capture of his Leipzig teammate Mathew Bondswell despite a late rival bid from Leeds United.
Hwang’s arrival would offer Moyes a replacement for Sebastien Haller following the Ivory Coast international’s move to AFC Ajax, having decided to continue monitoring Stade de Reims forward Boulaye Dia after refusing to pay €15m (£13.5m) for the Frenchman this month.
Reports by Kicker, cited by Sky Sport Austria, add that West Ham are ‘very hot’ on Hwang’s situation but it is unclear where the striker will end the January transfer window, as 1.FSV Mainz are favourites for his signature after identifying the attacker as their top target to replace Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Hwang is noted to be unsettled in Leipzig having struggled to establish himself under Julian Nagelsmann following his move from RB Salzburg last summer, with the 25-year-old yet to start a Bundesliga game after struggling with slight adductor problems and a two-month spell out after contracting coronavirus.
The £13.5m-rated striker is now expected to be granted a loan exit in the closing stages of the winter market, hoping to build on his sole goal scored across all competitions this term in a DFB Pokal tie with second-tier 1.FC Nuremberg in September.
Should West Ham sign Hwang?
Hwang may have endured a troublesome debut campaign with Leipzig, but the 34-cap international’s talent should ensure he is able to provide the depth behind Michail Antonio that Moyes felt he lacked with Haller at West Ham.
Hwang arrived at Leipzig last summer fresh off a 16-goal, 22-assist campaign with Salzburg with the expectation of filling the void left by Timo Werner, after the German joined Chelsea for £47.5m on the back of scoring 34 times across all competitions in 2019/20.
His efforts in Austria further ensured Hwang arrived at the Red Bull Arena with a reputation for leading the line and imposing himself on defenders, but for also being comfortable with the ball at his feet and with the pace needed to break free to exploit gaps in the opponent’s backline.
Former Liefering and Salzburg head coach Peter Zeidler even lauds Hwang as a rare breed for the brutality shown in his skill, claiming: “He's exceptional, has a brutal dynamism. I've rarely seen anything like it.”
Being able to skilfully deceive defenders also sparked comparisons with Liverpool striker Firmino, who hit nine goals and provided eight assists as Jurgen Klopp’s side dominated the Premier League last season and already has five goals and three assists this term.
If Hwang is set to be available for a loan move in the final days of the January transfer window, West Ham co-owner and Chairman Sullivan could do a lot worse than to back Moyes by pushing through a deal for the South Korean to move to east London.
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