Premier League hotshots West Ham United appear primed to trump Barcelona for the signing of Bayer Leverkusen maverick Patrik Schick.
According to Fichajes, high-flying West Ham United are in pole position to land Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick.
The 25-year-old joined the Bundesliga side from AS Roma in 2020. He has since enjoyed a stunning start to life in Germany. Schick has made 59 appearances for Leverkusen, scoring 29 goals and assisting three more.
However, in the current campaign, the Czech Republic international has come into his elements. With 16 goals and three assists in 18 games, he leads the Bundesliga side’s push for a top-four finish. Schick is currently only behind Roberto Lewandowski in the Bundesliga scoring charts and has outscored even Erling Haaland.
At 25, the striker still has the best years of his career ahead of him and could be set to a move to England soon. West Ham are currently in the mix for a top-four finish and are playing some good football under David Moyes.
The Hammers have a solid squad that appears to perform better than a sum of its parts. However, they lack an infallible scorer who can be an alternative to Michail Antonio. The Jamaican international has been the go-to man for the Hammers this season and is unsurprisingly their top scorer of the campaign.
Adding Schick would lessen the dependence on Antonio and give Moyes more options. However, the Hammers will have to beat off the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona to land their man. Valued at around €40 million, it is fair to assume that Leverkusen will demand a fair deal more for the Czech ace’s services.
Having missed out on a top-four finish two seasons in a row, keeping Schick represents Leverkusen’s best chance of upsetting the applecart this time around. Exactly what it will take to convince the Germans to part ways with their ace this January remains to be seen.
West Ham have, in recent seasons, emerged as a haven for Czech stars. The arrival of Daniel Kretinsky, a Czech investor who owns 27% of the club’s shares, has also helped the Hammers on the pitch. Vladimir Coufal, Alex Kral and Tomas Soucek have all since gone on to impact the club’s recent upturn in fortunes.
Should he make the move to London, Schick will have the opportunity to play for a team on the ascendency, and with teammates, he shares the national dressing room with. At 25, Schick has enough time on his hands to make another big move to a top side in the future. Proving his mettle at West Ham in the Premier League will certainly boost his image further.
Given his forgettable spell at AS Roma, this could be exactly what he needs to showcase his credentials to those sceptical. A move to the London Stadium would be a win-win for both the player and West Ham.
