West Ham’s failed attempt in the summer to recruit a top striker – the Jhon Duran episode keeps getting refreshed in our minds each time another goal gets notched by the Columbian for Aston Villa – means there is a glaring shortcoming in the squad to be addressed in January. It seems ‘failed to settle Fullkrug’ may well be on his way, fit or not, back out of the London Stadium revolving door so the need to sign a decent number 9 is acute.
The evidence has been there from the reports around various Brazilian hopefuls –Yuri Alberto being the latest written about just yesterday. Today come stories from a couple of different sources(Wilson Pimentel, ITK journalist @pimentelmidia) that the Hammers’ technical director Tim Steidten is due to meet representatives of Jhon Arias who are “travelling to Europe to hear offers from Galatasaray and West Ham for the Fluminense striker.”
This is Jhon Arias, ‘the right footed right winger’ who also plays as a left winger or an attacking midfielder. I’d certainly not seen him referred to as a ‘striker’ anywhere else. As recently as the end of October the club rubbished reports that West Ham were interested in the winger: Whilst it is encouraging to hear that Tim Steidten’s recruitment process for January is active, getting this one piece of business correct is vital after the Fullkrug dèbacle.
Seems like the ‘wrong Jhon’ to me. If it were Duran we’d all be more interested!
If West Ham are indeed discussing Jhon Arias with his representatives then Steidten’s recruitment policy is headed wildly off-track. ‘We have enough wingers‘ was the quote from the source inside the club in October: Nothing has changed in the last three weeks. Behind Jarrod Bowen lies Luis Guilherme even if Mohammed Kudus doesn’t get a look-in at right wing – so for those reasons I’d put this reported Hammers interest as just plain ‘wrong’.
So, a wasted trip across the Atlantic unless Arias’ team are trying to ‘create’ a better offer from Galatasaray by exaggerating Hammers’ interest.
He’s also played CAM and CM, looking at his stats he’s pretty solid all round and his passing is much better than the wingers we have granted in a different league. I think it could be more of a Paqueta replacement.
Decent pace and his tackling stats are good so obviously likes to get stuck in and work hard.
If you got and get him €10-15 could turn out a real bargain.
Certainly not a transfer to be sniffed at and imo the midfield is the problem. Could have had haaland up top for us this season and he’d probably have scored about 3 goals, maybe the Colombian we should be going for is Richard Rios?! Better yet why doesn’t sulli put his hands in his pockets and get all 3.