M’Bala Nzola could spearhead attacking rebuild at West Ham [Opinion]

Spezia’s M’Bala Nzola may not be the first European striker on everyone’s lips, but West Ham fans should take the Hammers’ reported interest in him with pride.

The striker has taken to Serie A like a duck to water, seamlessly slipping into a rich vein of goalscoring form for the promoted Italian club.

With eight goals in his last nine games, scoring is more a habitual affair for Nzola than an insurmountable challenge – something which cannot be said for Sébastien Haller, who joined Ajax on Friday after a lacklustre spell with the Hammers in which he netted just 14 times in 53 appearances.

The Frenchman is just 24 years of age, meaning he should retain significant potential to improve or offer resale value in the future. West Ham have previously made contact with the player’s entourage and have been exploring the possibility of luring Nzola away from Serie A in January.

Michail Antonio is into his 30s and has struggled with injuries in recent months. Consequentially, Nzola – who is renowned for his pace and power – looks to be a perfect option to compete with the Englishman in the long run.

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The failure of Haller to impress as a physical target man could have lasting implications for how the Hammers set themselves up in attack from hereon. In this view, the likes of Antonio and Nzola could be the future of West Ham’s attacking setup.

Moyes should show a preference for pacey strikers who get in behind the opposition lines and utilise their speed and agility to create fast build-up play, raining shots down on the opposition’s goal.

Nzola could therefore be part of a fuller tactical restructure as the Hammers consider a transition to new attacking pastures.