Antonio lookalike should be on Moyes agenda

By CandH’s top blogger Allen Cummings

David Moyes’ search for a new striker to compliment and eventually replace Michail Antionio goes on. At least it does in the media, if the regular updates of who we’re ‘tracking’, ‘following’, ‘monitoring’ and ‘considering’ are to be believed.

Of course the manager may already know exactly who he wants to bring to West Ham, and he’s happy to let all the speculation wash over him. But he’s not about to let us into his little secret, if he has one. Why should he? So how about throwing another name into the ring to test the reaction – that of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Adama Traore.

If Moyes is looking for a like-for-like, is there anyone closer right now to Antonio than the flying Spaniard? He’s impressively strong, lighten quick and so difficult to knock off the ball when he’s in full flight.

The Hammers have been linked with Traore before. Back in 2018, while he was with Middlesbrough, there was talk of the club triggering the £18m release clause in Traore’s contact.

Nothing materialised and he eventually went to Molineux – while West Ham pursued and eventually purchased Felipe Anderson from Lazio for £34m. Ouch!!

A product of Barcelona’s youth system, Barca were said to be interested in re-signing him last summer. Manchester City and Liverpool were also said to be in the frame, although the Reds eventually chose to go with Traore’s former team mate Diogo Jota. Wolves reported £70m asking fee for Adama beyond all three clubs valuation.

It’s highly unlikely the midlanders could justifiable expect anything like that kind of figure now. It’s fair to say Traore’s sparkling form of last season has faded somewhat.

He has looked something of a forlorn figure of late as Wolves as a team have struggled to come to terms with the absence of their talisman up front, Raul Jimenez. There’s a suggestion Traore has become disillusioned with life at Molineux and a move to pastures new would be in the best interest of the player and the club.

It’s obvious Traore isn’t a goal scorer in the way that Abdallah Sima and Youssef En-Nesyri have been portrayed. But then neither were Antonio or Arnautovic until Moyes got to work on them.

If the Wolves man could be tempted to the London Stadium, for the right money, it might just be a deal worth considering.