The player who was once branded ‘the next Zidane’ has joined West Ham on a three-year deal, a signing that West Ham and neutral supporters are certainly looking forward to seeing put his mark on the Premier League next season.
Feghouli played under the short-term managers of ‘Nuno’, ‘Voro’ and Gary Neville in Valencia CF’s 2015/16 campaign in Liga BBVA, which concluded in a disappointing 12th place finish.
In addition, Feghouli left the club on bad terms as he was accused of not wanting to play for the fallen Spanish giants after contract talks went sour as his financial demands were not met.
Having said this, the Algerian playmaker finished the season with 5 goals in 33 appearances, with 4 of these goals coming from 10 appearances in Europe, showing he is very much domestically established. West Ham is going to need a strong Europa league performer after the mortifying early exit in the qualifiers last season.
Gary Neville complimented the Algerian Ace by labelling him ‘A big player who responds positively to the pressure of important matches.’ A player with this quality will certainly come in useful for the Hammers, as countless points were dropped last season as the Hammers failed to hold onto a lead and capitalise on key chances.
Personally, I don’t think Feghouli will slot into the team straight away, and Slav will tease us with some late substitute appearances where Feghouli will be sure to show his outstanding ability.
When Payet is gone, a player like Sofiane will have no problem slotting into that role, as after observing him the Liga BBVA, he has the makings to be as good as Payet. Feghouli possesses supreme dribbling abilities and flair which is key to his playing style, as he bombs down the flank proving to be tricky and direct in attack, alongside picking a key pass with his intelligent vision and end product (which is rare in the modern day winger).
Not only are his offensive skills second to none, Feghouli also makes strong defensive contributions and is dominant in aerial duels. Feghouli can play on both flanks, however, is favoured to play on the right, and he also slots in behind the striker, finding the net twice by playing in this position so it is hard to say where he will fit in alongside Lanzini and Payet, however the right midfield position has been begging to be filled after a poor season from the Ecuadorian; Enner Valencia.
It is safe to say, the Irons have secured a magnificent signing in Feghouli and the fans should be very excited to see him wear the eminent claret and blue jersey next season.
