Why West Ham should plot a January swoop for Moussa Marega

West Ham have enjoyed a decent start to this season having spent a lot of money in the summer on new signings as they sit 11th in the Premier League standings after nine games.

Summer signing and club-record capture Sebastien Haller has started well with four goals so far. The big Frenchman has impressed with his ability to hold the ball up and bring his teammates into the game.

A presence like that was absolutely needed at West Ham, following the departures of Marko Arnautovic and Andy Carroll at the end of the last season.

Pablo Fornals, another summer signing, however, hasn’t set the world alight. He has struggled with the pace and intensity of the Premier League but there’s no doubting the Spaniard will adapt to English football sooner rather than later.

The Hammers may have lost their last two league games but Manuel Pellegrini will be pretty happy with his team’s response following the opening day thumping at the hands of Manchester City. When the transfer window reopens, Pellegrini may look to beef up his squad with a couple of additions.

The West Ham tactician should look to strengthen his options upfront in January. If Haller went down with an injury that would keep him out of action then the Hammers are very limited upfront. Albian Ajeti was signed from FC Basel in the summer but he isn’t quite ready for regular Premier League action.

Michail Antonio would be an option to replace Haller but he is currently working his way back to fitness from hamstring surgery after an injury he picked up in August.

Following the exits of Arnautovic, Carroll, Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez, Pellegrini could be tempted to bring in another striker in the midseason trading period. To put things into perspective, the east Londoners should go for FC Porto star Moussa Marega.

Moussa Marega, 28, who was heavily linked with a move to West Ham in the summer, enjoyed an excellent 2018/19 campaign with Porto, netting 21 times. He has continued that form this campaign, netting four goals and providing two assists in seven league fixtures.

In terms of his attributes, the 28-year-old is a strong, powerful forward blessed with good pace and aerial ability. He has the ability to time his jump to perfection to win the aerial duels and can outmuscle defenders in the box with his brute force.

The Malian is known for his ability to hold the ball in the final third for his teammates to get into scoring positions.

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Marega can also make impressive runs behind the defenders and also has the ability to find the net with powerful shots from outside the box, something adds to his repertoire of skills.

The Les Ulis-born star has the physical attributes to thrive in the Premier League. He’ll perfectly suit West Ham’s style of play, whilst bring in much-needed competition for the likes of Haller and Ajeti.

Verdict

Marega has arguably been the best striker in Portugal for the last couple of seasons now and he would certainly be a massive coup for West Ham.