West Ham have once again gone into a summer transfer window looking to spend big on a striker to lead the line in the Premier League and they’ve done just that. After finally selling the troublesome Marko Arnautovic to Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG, they are now pinning their hopes on French striker Sebastien Haller.
The forward arrives at the club after joining from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt for a huge fee believed to be in the region of £40 million. Haller was part of one of the most potent attacking trios in Germany and Europe last season alongside Ante Rebic and Luka Jovic, who has since gone on to join Real Madrid. His performances alongside the aforementioned duo were key to Frankfurt reaching the Europa League semi-final.
He will now be looking to take that form into the Premier League with Manuel Pellegrini’s side and with the likes of Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini behind him, he’ll be aiming to hit the ground running, with West Ham pushing for European football once again next season.
Betting apps up and down the country will all be looking for the surprise package of the season. Last season it was Wolves could it now be time for West Ham to bring European football to the London Stadium on a consistent basis?
The club have never hidden their intentions to break into the top seven and push for a Europa League spot, especially since the move into the new stadium and now the signings that are being made under Pellegrini are a clear statement of intent.
West Ham have always struggled to find a striker that they can rely on and the performances of Haller will largely reflect how well the Hammers do next season. Nearly 40 strikers have been signed by the club since 2010, but the less said about some of the club’s recruitment the better. At 25 years of age, Haller is approaching his peak and joins the club off the back of a campaign that saw him find the back of the net 15 times in the Bundesliga. Add to that a further nine assists, Haller looks ready-made for the rigours of Premier League football.
Download the best betting apps for betting on mobile if you’re confident that Haller can better his goalscoring tally during his debut season in the Premier League.
The nine assists to Haller’s name last season could be the key for him under Pellegrini. Not only will he improve West Ham’s attack, but also though around him. The club will be hoping that the likes of Anderson and the returning Andriy Yarmolenko will all see their personal goal tallies improve as a result of his link-up play in the final third.
Add to that the creativity of fellow summer signing Pablo Fornals, a highly-rated Spaniard who joined the club from Villarreal earlier in the window, and West Ham have themselves a very exciting looking front line. Paying in the region of £24 million for the player, Fornals could go on to become one of the signings of the summer if he can hit the ground running and become an instrumental part of Pellegrini’s side.
The Hammers only finished seven points behind Wolves in seventh last season and supporters can take hope from that, given the signings that the club have made over the summer. Couple that with the uncertainty that surrounds the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, there could be an opportunity for a club like West Ham, Wolves or Leicester to secure a place in Europe.
