OPINION
Manuel Pellegrini has yet to really utilise a genuine centre-forward for the entire team he has been in charge of West Ham United.
Instead, the Chilean has leaned on the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio to plug the hole left by Andy Carroll’s constant injuries and Javier Hernandez’s recent virus.
The former Manchester City boss has evidently been left unimpressed by Lucas Perez’s efforts since joining the club too, although the Spaniard may get an opportunity against Macclesfield Town in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
This lack of a centre forward cannot be a trend that continues forever for the East London outfit, and so Pellegrini could do far worse than taking a look at Brentford striker Neal Maupay.
The Frenchman has been unplayable in the Championship this season, scoring eight goals in seven games in the second tier.
His stunning form this term follows a debut season in England where he netted 13 times and registered five assists in 46 games in all competitions. And he’s still just 22 years of age, too.
There is a stigma in the Premier League towards Championship players, particularly goalscorers. We’ve seen the likes of Jordan Rhodes, Cameron Jerome and Rudy Gestede all fail to replicate their prolific second tier form in the top flight.
So it’s hard to blame Premier League teams for being wary of Championship strikers. Maupay’s age, and track record, should make him the exception, though.
The Brentford man is a livewire of a frontman, and his eight goals this campaign have come at a scarcely believable rate of one every 72 minutes. That’s a Cristiano Ronaldo/Lionel Messi type of statistic.
Maupay’s voracious appetite for goals at the London club won’t go unnoticed forever. If the Hammers don’t take a chance on him someone else will, and they will reap the benefits of his nose for goal.
West Ham have a problem up front. Carroll cannot stay fit, while Hernandez and Perez are both the wrong side of 30. Maupay would help the club in the present and in the future.
Arnautovic has shown that he can operate up front at a high level, but playing him off a top class frontman would surely be preferable.
Maupay up front, with Arnautovic, Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson playing in behind sounds like a recipe for success for Pellegrini.
Once the winter transfer window opens the club must act quickly to address their striking issue, and there’s an ideal way of doing so waiting for them just across London.
