West Ham Signing Nketiah is One for the Future [Opinion]

Investing in youth is rarely a bad thing and whilst a deal for Eddie Nketiah would be an intelligent and forward-thinking move by West Ham, he would not immediately challenge Michail Antonio.

As reported by the Daily Star, the Hammers have compiled a three-man striker shortlist of Chelsea target man Tammy Abraham, Brentford’s prolific poacher Ivan Toney and Arsenal’s young Gunner Nketiah.

Moyes is said to have a preference for a young, hungry home-grown talent to bolster his squad with Nketiah standing out as an increasingly viable option.

The Arsenal youngster is entering the final 12 months of his contract next season and could consequentially become available for a knock-down fee in the summer.

Having only scored once in the league this season – against none other than the Hammers – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly willing to sanction a deal.

However, such a record will not bode well if Nketiah’s job is to come into the side and immediately oust Antonio, who exists as the sole senior forward option at the club.

His productivity simply does not hit the heights that would be required of him at this level, but his young age renders him as possessing plenty of potential for growth.

With West Ham looking like serious contenders for European football next season, there is plenty of cause for optimism that Nketiah could be called into action in other competitions.

West Ham in Europe would mean the Irons would see their fixture schedule increasingly inundated with games – and will need to stock up on squad depth in order to meet the challenges of the season ahead.

Signing Nketiah would not be an outright masterstroke, but a deal would nonetheless be a sensible move for all parties.