Why Alassane Plea could be a brilliant signing for West Ham

According to reports, West Ham have made a £27m bid for Nice forward Alassane Plea. Besides West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Fulham are also interested in the Frenchman.

Plea, 25, enjoyed a stellar season in Ligue 1 last term as he netted 16 goals and provided five assists to help Nice finish eighth in the French top-flight.

West Ham, under newly-appointed boss Manuel Pellegrini, have been active in the transfer market. The Hammers have focused on strengthening their defence so far, having signed centre-back Issa Diop, right-back Ryan Fredericks and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

West Ham must now shift their focus to bolstering their attacking options. The Londoners relied heavily on Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini and Javier Hernandez for goals last season, while Andy Carroll played a bit-part role as he endured another injury-hit campaign.

So, Pellegrini’s side are in dire need of some extra firepower up front and signing Plea could be a smart move.

Plea came through Lyon’s ranks and moved to Nice in the summer of 2014. Since joining Nice, the Frenchman has performed extremely well, especially in the last two seasons.

Plea is a pacy forward, who thrives while playing out on the flanks and cutting inside. He can also play up front. His versatility makes him an exciting prospect for West Ham.

The French attacker is a player who offers an abundance of pace, trickery, power and most importantly – goals. The Hammers were heavily reliant on Arnautovic the last term as he hit 11 league goals to help them steer clear of relegation.

With Arnautovic having established himself a regular in the starting XI, Plea could supplement the Austrian from a wide position.

Plea’s track record at Nice suggests he is highly capable of producing the goods on a regular basis, having scored 16 goals and provided 5 assists across 35 Ligue 1 appearances last season.

Signing Plea could be a great bit of business for West Ham, with the French forward often demonstrating his qualities and influence in the final third. He has the power and pace needed to sustain in the Premier League and the 25-year-old’s experience of playing out wide would be a huge plus for Pellegrini’s side.

Nice reportedly want €30m for their star forward and West Ham should definitely go ahead and sign him.