OPINION
Ever since manager Manuel Pellegrini arrived at West Ham United in the summer the club have increasingly looked to sign only top class talent in the transfer windows.
Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop and Andriy Yarmolenko are all excellent players, and this strategy is something the Hammers must continue to pursue.
That starts with muscling in on Premier League rivals Watford’s move for Lyon winger Maxwel Cornet. French publication L’Equipe reported on Thursday that the Hornets had begun discussions with both player and club over a switch to Vicarage Road.
Cornet, it’s safe to say, is not someone the Hammers want lining up against them. This is a high level operator who would instantly improve Pellegrini’s side.
Fans of English football were given a first hand look at what the 23-year-old could do earlier this season, as he twice put Manchester City to the sword in the Champions League group stages.
He netted in the French side’s surprise victory in September, before victimising Pep Guardiola’s side again with a brace in the the teams’ 2-2 draw in November. It goes without saying that scoring three goals in two games against this City side makes you a bit of a player.
Cornet’s lightning quick pace and enviable productivity in the final third make him an ideal signing for West Ham. They could use another winger on the opposite side of the pitch to Anderson to provide goals and creativity so that the burden isn’t always on the Brazilian.
The Frenchman has, for whatever reason, struggled to secure game time for Lyon this campaign, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is wonderful talent with many years ahead of him.
In limited minutes this term he has found the net four times, while bagging seven goals and eight assists across all competitions least time out.
This is a potential signing that would almost certainly enable the Hammers to fly up the Premier League table, buoyed by a winger who is among the most exciting young talents in France. Watford cannot be allowed to snare him.
