West Ham could kick off transfer window in style by landing free-scoring La Liga striker
For two years now, two rumours have gone around the London Stadium with the kind of regularity that Swiss watchmakers can only aspire towards – firstly, that David Moyes would be relieved of his duties as West Ham United manager, and secondly that the Hammers would be signing Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri. Well, one has finally happened… so how about the other?
The Moroccan striker has only one year left on his current deal in Andalucia and neither club nor player seem especially interested in extending it. It seems likely he will finally leave after several windows in which he has been linked repeatedly with a move to London. Football Insider are among the outlets to suggest that West Ham will be in the hunt for his signature once more, so if a move does finally come to fruition, how would En-Nesyri fit in at the London Stadium, and what could he offer incoming manager Julen Lopetegui?
In many ways, the 26-year-old is a very straightforward player to assess – he’s a classical number nine, an out-and-out striker, who is very good at scoring goals but contributes precious little else to the cause. Around the six-yard box, he’s lethal. Everywhere else, he’s closer to a liability. But that might be precisely what West Ham need.
has spent four full seasons at Sevilla since signing from CD Leganés back in 2020, and the returns have been mixed. He scored 18 La Liga goals in his first full campaign and has 15 in 2023/24, but managed just 13 in the two years in between. That may set a few slight alarm bells ringing – the five goals he managed in 2021/22 is a little concerning on paper – but digging deeper into the stats behind his fallow years paints the Morocco international in a better light.
