Even with more than a month to go until the transfer window re-opens, the rumour mill is turning steadily in regard to our beloved Hammers and our threadbare striking department.
With the return date of Andy Carroll still something of a mystery and goals at a premium; one of the names being bandied about the papers and the Web is that of American national Clint Dempsey.
The nay-sayers will point to his age (30) and his move ‘down’ in returning to the MLS, but with his eye for goal in recent seasons of the Premier League and his positional versatility, Dempsey could be just the thing the goal-shy West Ham side needs.
Dempsey could be deployed as the front-man, an attacking-midfielder or on either wing, so regardless of whether Sam Allardyce persists with his new favourite 4-6-0 formation or not, Dempsey could easily slot into the team organization. The former Fulham star has scored goals at every level of the game, including a double in the United States Mens’ National team’s 100th anniversary match against Germany on June 2, 2013.
The kind of deal being rumoured is a three-month off-season loan, following the relative success of Landon Donovan in his similar arrangements with Everton.
Along with contributing on the pitch, Donovan’s cross-promotion value did not go unnoticed by the Merseyside club, and it seems this could be a factor in West Ham’s interest in Donovan’s international teammate. Not only could Dempsey plug a positional gap in the current West Ham side, the exposure he brings in the thriving MLS market to the club he signs for would be of use to a club on the way up and on the lookout for marketing expansion as the clock ticks down until we move to the Olympic Stadium.
So please, Big Sam, sign Clint Dempsey. His goals will help us turn draws into wins, and his attacking mentality could be the shot in the arm the side needs for our underperforming attacking players to find their shooting boots as well.
By Jason Archbold
