In 2006, West Ham United made the double Argentine signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, after the pair impressed at the 2006 World Cup.
Despite only being at the club for three years (one season playing), Tevez is easily one of the best centre-forwards to play for the club.
His record at Upton Park, netting seven goals and providing four assists in 29 appearances, might not be the best record to shout about but his career record elsewhere speaks volumes.
Indeed, as the Argentine striker went on to play for both Manchester United and Manchester City, he netted a further 107 goals in English football, providing 46 assists and winning multiple Premier League titles in the meantime.
West Ham's bid to sign a new striker
Since Tevez left the club, West Ham have been trying to find a quality striker.
They came close with cult heroes such as Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho but fell short of the mark with their big-money signings like Sebastian Haller and most recently Gianluca Scamacca.
So, how do they fix the curse? Well, signing one of the most feared strikers in Europe ought to do the trick.
Indeed, according to reports from GIVEMESPORT, Graham Potter is putting pressure on influential figures at West Ham to wrap up the signing of Lille striker, Jonathan David.
He is out of contract this summer and will be available on a free transfer but Inter Milan are also sniffing around the deal, which is why Potter wants things wrapped up quickly.
Whilst the 25-year-old forward is available on a free, it is reported David is demanding a gross salary of around £7.8m-per-season, along with a £13m signing bonus. This would consequently make the move a costly one, but it could end up being worthwhile.
Why David could be West Ham's best striker in years
David has made 44 appearances for French outfit Lille this season, scoring 23 goals, providing ten assists and totalling 3,505 minutes played.
The Canadian striker has shown over the years he is a prolific goalscorer, and he could be exactly what the Hammers need. Notably described as “one of the best strikers in the world” by Canadian football expert Tony Marinaro, he’s also been celebrated as a “mind-blowing” forward by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
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That quote gives a great insight into why he could be their best striker for a good number of years but the stats also tell us a great deal.
Three of West Ham’s biggest signings in recent years have been in a bid to fix their striker woes, with Haller joining back in 2019 for a fee of around £45m, Scamacca signing in 2022 for £35.5m and Niclas Füllkrug penning terms for about £27m last summer.
Goals
0.60
0.59
0.37
0.25
Assists
0.23
0.15
0.06
0.04
xG
0.59
0.35
0.24
0.32
Progressive Carries
1.16
0.77
1.26
0.67
Progressive Passes
2.10
0.96
1.65
2.34
Shots Total
2.24
2.35
3.00
2.14
Goals/Shot
0.17
0.25
0.08
0.12
Key Passes
1.10
1.73
1.26
0.95
Shot-Creating Actions
2.35
2.69
2.33
2.02
Touches (Pen Area)
5.17
4.81
3.69
4.72
Aerial Duels Won
0.53
4.81
1.65
8.45
When comparing all the West Ham strikers’ underlying metrics from their first season at the club against those of David this season, you can see how the Canadian striker differs, generating a higher xG per 90, having better output and having the highest volume of touches inside the penalty area.
One key difference is the fact that David, like Tevez, is a bit smaller. Standing at only 5 foot 10 he’s a great deal smaller compared to the other strikers who are above 6 foot and more known for their aerial prowess. However, the Canadian brings the level of clinical finishing currently missing at the club, whilst also injecting some youth into their ageing striker cohort.
If West Ham can get this one over the line, it would be a much-needed addition to their side, adding not only goals but a young presence up front to link up with the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, forming an exciting attacking unit for the Hammers.
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