OPINION
There is no hiding the fact that Manuel Pellegrini is wanting to add to his strikeforce, but the real question is, do West Ham really need to strengthen in the final third?
If pre-season is anything to go by, then definitely not – with the Hammers scoring with ease in the majority of their friendlies, forming great partnerships as they edge towards the start of the Premier League.
New signings Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals have been introduced to the side and already look irreplaceable, with existing players such as Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini adding a great sense of creativity behind – thriving off the impact of the two new signings.
Despite that, reports on Tuesday morning suggested Pellegrini was in the market for another forward. Reputable news outlet Football Insider revealed that the Hammers have placed a £4.5million bid for Basel forward Albian Ajeti.
West Ham’s chances of landing the Switzerland international are surely slim, with Claret and Hugh reporting that with Basel’s potential involvement in the Champions League a deal-breaker to any possible move.
The Hammers are surely set to miss out on the 22-year-old, with Basel having recently beaten Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in qualifying for the Champions League to take one step closer to the group stage.
Ajeti would be a decent addition at the London Stadium, having excelled in the Swiss league in recent years at Basel. The promising forward scored 21 goals and added 11 assists in his 43 appearances in all competition, and has won four trophies in his home nation.
The 22-year-old has also finished as the top scorer in the league on one occasion and has proved that he has a natural instinct in front of goal which allows him to score with ease at any point of the game.
There is no doubting that fact that he could add something new to the Hammers, but with Basel one step closer to Champions League football – West Ham are set for a big blow.
