OPINION
West Ham United’s search for a new striker has been one of the most high profile stories of this summer’s transfer window, and what a tale it has been.
The Hammers seem to have been linked to every man and his dog in terms of attackers, and now the most bizarre rumour of the window has surfaced.
Italian outlet Gianluca Di Marzio reported on Wednesday that the east London outfit are interested in securing a loan with an option to buy deal for Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain.
Yes, this is the same Higuain who is coming off the back of a hugely underwhelming loan period with West Ham’s London rivals Chelsea.
Come on now, aren’t the Hammers getting a bit desperate now? In terms of senior strikers at the London Stadium, there’s only really Javier Hernandez, seeing as Jordan Hugill was left at home for the team’s pre season trip to China for the Premier League Asia Trophy.
So when you’re comparing a potential addition to Hernandez, you need to be certain that they’d represent a significant upgrade on the Mexican international. That’s simply not the case with Higuain.
As per WhoScored, the 75-cap Argentine international trailed his fellow 31-year-old in goals scored, assists recorded, the number of times he was fouled per game, offsides per game and was dispossessed more often than the West Ham frontman.
Higuain, to his credit, had superior tallies in key passes, shots and dribbles per game. However, it’s clear from the numbers that he simply isn’t an upgrade on what the Hammers already have.
Indeed, he’s no Sebastien Haller or Maxi Gomez. West Ham are thought to be close to signing the German, while Sky Sports reported recently that they have missed out on the Uruguayan after a prolonged pursuit.
It’s for that reason that the Hammers need to get out of the Higuain business as soon as possible.
