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West Ham make first quality signing with more big names expected to follow

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The Hammers announced the signing of Pedro Obiang from Italian side Sampdoria today. The 23-year-old midfielder will bring athleticism, strength and creativity to West Ham’s midfield and has been identified by many as Alex Song’s replacement.

The new marquee signing, believed to have arrived at the club for around £4.3 million, spoke of his delight at sealing the switch to Slaven Bilic’s side:

“We have been talking about this for a long time and now I’ve finally got the chance to come here.

“I went on holiday after the season had finished and I was looking forward to receiving that call to tell me where and when to sign for this Club!

“I’m very excited to play in the Premier League. It’s a style of football that will help me to progress as a player and as a person, so it will be very good.”

As a player, Obiang possesses similar skills to Alex Song. The fact that the midfielder is younger and cheaper than Song undoubtedly appealed to West Ham and judging by the stats, Obiang appeared to perform slightly better than Song last season. The Spaniard made more key passes, intercepted the ball more and made more successful tackles than the Barcelona loanee.

Image courtesy of squawka.com

Image courtesy of squawka.com

Whoscored.com also attributes a number of strengths to Obiang’s play. He is very good defensively but can also hold onto the ball and play through balls in the middle of the park. Although many West Ham fans may be sceptical about the club’s new signing, the evidence suggests that West Ham have bought wisely here.

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Image courtesy of whoscored.com

Amidst Bilic’s appointment as the new manager yesterday, a constant stream of names are being connected with the club. The Guardian report that West Ham may try and pursue Besiktas stars Gokhan Tore and Olcay Sahan, two attacking players that would add further quality to the squad and the experience of already working under Bilic. Barcelona youngster Alen Halilovic is also rumoured to be a loan target. The Croatian is an excellent dribbler with a very low centre of gravity and is tipped for big things at Barcelona. If Bilic can negotiate a deal for the 18-year-old, the midfielder’s presence in the squad would add much needed creativity in what is sure to be a lengthy campaign this season.

Further names linked with West Ham at this time include Chelsea striker Loic Remy and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Yohan Cabaye. Both players would represent fantastic pieces of business for the club and would only help West Ham’s quest to play more attractive football next season. The ever-reliable @ExWHUemployee tweeted that there is certainly interest in Loic Remy and that an offer could be made for Cabaye.

Remy is a target for West Ham

Remy is a target for West Ham

Remy is understandably frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities at Chelsea and the fact that the club have been linked with Radamel Falcao in recent weeks suggests that Remy could find himself further down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge. It is a similar situation for Cabaye in Paris and if West Ham can attract one of these players to Upton Park this summer, it would certainly improve the squad considerably.

Who would you like West Ham to sign? Are the targets linked good enough for West Ham? Comment below

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