West Ham United are reportedly set to join Manchester City’s race to sign the star on the cheap in January, as Nuno Espirito Santo looks to establish himself in the current squad.
Jamie Carragher slams West Ham as ‘shocking’
West Ham have not performed well this season, both under Graham Potter and now under Nuno. The Hammers, who sit 19th in the Premier League with one win, go into Friday’s game against Leeds United in desperate need of a positive result.
Relegation fears were on display at the London Stadium after they were eased by Brentford on Monday. Former Liverpool star and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher also didn’t hold back after the game to slam West Ham, calling them “shocking”.
“It’s shocking, and they’ve been shocking for a while. I can’t think of a less athletic team that I’ve seen in the Premier League for a very long time. One of the slowest teams I’ve seen in Premier League football.”
“West Ham, with a team of those players, will always have problems, whoever the manager is, because I don’t think they are physically capable of coping.”
The numbers are also not very easy to read. Only Chelsea have traveled less distance than Hamees in the Premier League this season, but that’s not just because they have the majority of possession. In fact, only four teams have a lower percentage of possession than the London side, causing serious concerns.
Sky Sports also revealed that the only distance metric that West Ham are ranked highly in is walking distance. For a team struggling near the bottom of the table, that is completely unacceptable.
Nuno has a lot of work to do, but he must ensure he gets the players he needs when the January transfer window opens.
West Ham are in contention to sign Mateo Kovacic
As reported by Caught Offside, West Ham are currently in a rush to sign Mateo Kovacic from Manchester City, snapping up the Croatian for a bargain price amid rumors that he is unable to secure a new deal from the Etihad.
But it’s not just the Hammers who are interested. Aston Villa and AC Milan are also in the market for the midfielder, with the latter potentially tempted to join compatriot and close friend Luka Modric at the San Siro.
Kovacic is starting to become redundant for Man City’s demands, but would be a great coup for West Ham. The 31-year-old, a multiple Premier League winner, Champions League winner and former Real Madrid player, would be a huge upgrade over the likes of Tomas Soucek.
PL statistics 24/25 | Kobavich | Sousek |
|---|---|---|
minutes | 2,198 | 2,567 |
progressive carry | 56 | 9 |
progressive path | 164 | 74 |
the goal | 6 | 9 |
Man City manager Josep Guardiola previously described him as “extraordinary”, but Kovacic is still more than capable of starring in the Premier League. The Croatian, who has just over a year left on his current contract, should look to clubs like West Ham for a chance to remain in England’s top flight.