By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
West Ham’s frantic Deadline Day eventually delivered a new left-back, with 24-year-old Adama Boiro arriving from Athletic Club on loan with an option to buy.
I’ve already covered the rather chaotic circumstances surrounding the transfer, but what sort of player have West Ham actually signed?
1. He’s An Attacking Left-Back
Perhaps the clearest thing from looking through Boiro’s numbers is that he likes to get forward.
He’s very active down the left flank and averages 6.99 progressive passes per 90, while his heat map shows him spending significant amounts of time well beyond the halfway line.
That could be useful because West Ham desperately need to establish a partnership down that side, initially with Manor Solomon and eventually with new signing Edvin Austbø.
As I wrote after West Ham completed the Austbø signing, the Norwegian is another quick, direct player who likes attacking defenders.
2. He’s Comfortable Taking Players On
This was probably the statistic that surprised me most.
Boiro retained possession on 40 of his 48 dribbles (83.3%), and that actually increased to 84.2% in the final third.
For a full-back, those are interesting numbers.
He isn’t simply overlapping and crossing; he appears comfortable carrying the ball himself and engaging defenders.
Adama Boiro likes to get forward.
3. Expect Plenty Of Crosses
Boiro attempted 39 crosses and completed 20 of them, giving him an accuracy of 51.3%. Unsurprisingly, almost everything comes from his natural left side.
Again, it paints the picture of a fairly adventurous full-back rather than someone who wants to sit deep.
That should at least give West Ham something different on the left and potentially provide more service for the strikers.
4. He’ll Try To Win The Ball High Up The Pitch
Another encouraging feature is his work after possession has been lost.
Boiro recorded 164 recoveries, with 33 occurring in the final third.
There were also 68 counterpressing recoveries, suggesting he’s prepared to immediately try to regain possession rather than simply retreat into shape.
That’s particularly interesting after West Ham showed far more energy and aggression in the 4-2 victory over Wolves.
5. There Are Defensive Question Marks
This is where I’d apply the brakes slightly.
Boiro’s defensive duel success is 58.46%, while his aerial numbers are more concerning.
In his own third he won only six of 20 aerial duels (30%).
| Adama Boiro – Key Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Final-third dribbles retaining possession | 32/38 – 84.2% |
| Crosses completed | 20/39 – 51.3% |
| Progressive passes | 6.99 per 90 |
| Recoveries | 7.57 per 90 |
| Aerial duels won in own third | 6/20 – 30% |
The Championship can be unforgiving in that respect and opposition teams will certainly look to test him physically.
For me, Boiro remains a sticking-plaster signing.
West Ham left too much transfer business until far too late, and unlike Arne Engels, this clearly wasn’t a player who sat at the top of the recruitment list throughout the window.
Ollie Scarles improved against Wolves and appears to be something of a Nuno favourite, so Boiro may not walk straight into the team.
On the other hand, we’ve already seen Nuno throw Solomon and Engels straight in after signing them, and Scarles hasn’t exactly made the shirt his own.
So I’ll reserve judgement.
But if Boiro can bring the pace, attacking intent and ball-carrying suggested by these numbers, I wouldn’t rule out being pleasantly surprised by this one.
So, what happenned with Vardy??????
The reality is we have got enough money in to avoid a financial crisis while having a squad more likely to succeed in the Championship. Jobs done. The wage bill is also going to look far better an often overlooked metric
I have only watched very limited coverage of him, what I saw was a player that protects the ball better than Diouf, even if his duel success rate is low, he makes himself difficult to pass which is 100x better than Diouf, has pace and physicality and likes a cross, pace is unlikely to be as quick as Diouf and Dioufs crosses are exceptional, though I hope in a Nuno side the fact he is an all rounder should make him more valuable than a player that was great in the opposition half but not so good in defence.
“West Ham left too much transfer business until far too late”
Do you think that was from choice? Players we probably expected to keep, among them Diouf, became unusable the moment an offer they liked came in. And targeted players and agents were happy to wait for better offers than ours until the window was about to close. That’s the reality of being outside the prem.
Diouf never hid the fact he thought he should be in premiership.
With regard to late signings this has always been a trait of club.
Hence being linked to eleventh hour.
If club didn’t get all players they wanted it’s their own fault.
Getting this guy looks to be good option giving Nuno options_Lamadrid/Scarles/Cornet (maybe) and Boiro.