West Ham United are considering a summer swoop for Paul Onuachu, who is valued at around £17 million this summer.
According to a report from The Athletic, Paul Onuachu has emerged as the latest target for West Ham United in their quest to sign a new centre forward this summer. The Genk forward has been a subject of interest for multiple Premier League this summer but is valued at around £17 million.
Onuachu has had a rapid rise to prominence in recent years, particularly during the 2020/21 campaign. He scored a total of 29 league goals in just 33 appearances in Jupiler Pro League last season, emerging as one of the highest goalscorers in Europe. He was the only player who was in contention to win the Golden Boot despite belonging to a lower-ranked league.
The Nigerian international’s exploits in front of goal even saw him linked with a move to Arsenal, earlier in the summer. However, West Ham have now emerged as the front-runners as they desperate scout the market for a new number nine.
There is no doubt that the Hammers are in need of one, having lost Jesse Lingard. The Englishman, despite not being a striker, filled the void of that goalscoring threat for West Ham in the final third, but his return to Old Trafford has left David Moyes without a reliable attacking partner for Michail Antonio.
Antonio himself was sometimes overused by the Londoners last season. As such, signing another forward could be critical if West Ham are to survive in this hectic schedule of English and European football next season. However, Moyes has doubts over Onuachu, whose style of play is not favoured by the ex-Manchester United boss.
Standing at a towering 2.01m frame, the Nigerian certainly doesn’t offer the pace and dynamism of players like Antonio and Lingard. It could be problematic for a West Ham side that heavily rely on their speed on the counter to catch the opposition, potentially making the 27-year-old a fairly risky option.
Fortunately, the Hammers are no short of alternatives on the market. They are one of the contenders to sign Chelsea outcast Tammy Abraham, although they are expected to face stiff competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and even Southampton.
Also Read: Arsenal, Aston Villa, West Ham – Which club would suit Tammy Abraham the best? | THT Opinions
Another option was Italy’s Euro 2020 star Domenico Berardi, but it appears unlikely that the Sassuolo forward will be all too keen on joining West Ham. So it will be interesting to see whether Moyes gets pressurised to splash the cash on Paul Onuachu this summer.
