The Hammers could be set to make another last minute move before the transfer window closes.
West Ham United are keen on signing another forward before the transfer window slams shut on Friday night, with a new update now emerging on the club’s pursuit of a popular target.
What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?
According to the Daily Mail, West Ham are competing with Brentford to secure the last-minute signing of Paris Saint-Germain forward Hugo Ekitike.
As per the report, Brentford have made enquiries about the young goal-scorer, however, the Hammers are keen to seal a deal for the player as they prepare to rival their Premier League peers by flexing their financial power to win the race for Ekitike in the coming hours.
What is Hugo Ekitike good at?
There is just over a day left for West Ham to complete their business before the transfer window closes tomorrow evening and despite their recent signing of Mohammed Kudus, there is no doubt that Ekitike would be a great acquisition for the east London club.
Danny Ings has found himself falling out of favour since joining the Hammers in January and is the lesser favoured striker option with David Moyes preferring Michail Antonio and Gianluca Scamacca in his starting line-up last season – with Ings tallying up only 15 Premier League starts and averaging just 46 minutes per appearance.
The 31-year-old has been the subject of interest for Everton this week, with the Toffees stepping forward to secure the services of Ings following their struggles to find consistency in front of goal, however, it remains to be seen whether the Irons forward will be willing to move on in the dying hours of the window.
If Ings doesn’t make a last-minute exit, he could fall even further down the pecking order if West Ham can complete a deal for Ekitike, as the PSG youngster has the potential and talent to play a big part in the forward line at the London Stadium.
Despite struggling for game-time with the Ligue 1 champions last season, Ekitike has made a name for himself as one of the hottest young prospects in Europe after bursting on the scene with Stade de Reims before his huge move to PSG.
When comparing the 21-year-old with his positional peers across the top five European leagues over the last 12 months, Ekitike ranks in the top 5% for assists, pass completion and interceptions, as well as ranking in the top 25% for progressive carries, successful take-ons, tackles and blocks, as per FBref, outlining him as an all-round asset.
Indeed, as per WhoScored, the Frenchman’s biggest strengths lie in dribbling, long shots and defensive contributions, whilst also prolific in layoffs and an indirect threat from set-pieces, traits that combined could be highly valuable to Moyes over the season ahead on both the domestic and European stage.
Ekitike – who has a reported €35m (£30m) price tag – has also earned high praise from renowned scout Jacek Kulig who claimed that the PSG youngster is a “clinical finisher” who is “fast and powerful” and possesses “superb flair, agility & coordination for a player of his size.”
With that being said, if West Ham could complete the signing of Ekitike it would deliver Moyes an experienced yet youthful presence to deploy in his forward line and with regular game time in the Premier League, could become a huge threat for opponents.
