Many have been quick to dismiss the prospects of West Ham signing Canadian striker Jonathan David if the club manage to stay in the Premier League this season.
David, you may remember, is the striker the Hammers were heavily linked with last year before he left France to join Juventus on a free transfer. At the time, then West Ham coach Graham Potter personally contacted the player’s representatives in an attempt to push through a move to the London Stadium.
However, with West Ham flirting dangerously with relegation at the time, it was widely assumed the Canadian international would opt for a bigger stage.
Unfortunately for David, things have not quite worked out that way in Turin.
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As a result, the striker is now available for loan next season.
According to a Claret & Hugh source, David has been offered to West Ham among a number of other clubs.
Personally, I would not be too quick to dismiss the idea.
Both Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos certainly have their qualities, but it would be fair to say that pace and clinical finishing are not necessarily among them.
That said, the work rate, physicality and commitment that West Ham’s January signings have brought to the squad should not be underestimated. If the Hammers do remain in the Premier League, both Taty and Pablo will have played an important part in that survival battle — and you would expect them to remain part of the squad.
But at the same time, I have yet to see anything that suggests either striker provides a genuine cutting edge in front of goal.
For that reason alone, bringing in Jonathan David on loan from Juventus could prove to be a very smart piece of business — giving West Ham’s attack a little bit of everything.