Nuno Espirito Santo looks thoughtful during a recent game against Aston Villa.placeholder image
Nuno Espirito Santo looks thoughtful during a recent game against Aston Villa. | Getty Images
West Ham have been linked with a fresh transfer bid for an old target - and he could be the striker they desperately need.
West Ham’s first priority is survival, of course, but the nature of the Premier League is such that they have to start their planning for next season now even as they wait to find out which division they’ll be playing their football in. And whether they stay up or go down, a striker is right at the top of their shopping list. Again.
This is a club that seem to have whatever the opposite of the Midas touch is when it comes to signing forwards. It’s been years since the Hammers had a reliable number nine, an issue which hasn’t been resolved by their January dart throws at Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe. Now, however, reports suggest that they may have a chance to sign a long-term target, and a striker who would surely break their streak of failure up front: Juventus and Canada forward Jonathan David.
Why Jonathan David should be West Ham’s first priority this summer
On Thursday, Sport Witness covered reports that David seems likely to leave the Allianz Stadium this summer having fallen out of favour with manager Luciano Spalletti. The Canadian doesn’t seem to have cut the mustard at Juventus, but there is room to good enough for West Ham while not making the grade for the Old Lady – and West Ham are among the alleged suitors.
They’ve been linked with David before, and were routinely linked with a move last summer when it became clear that he would leave Lille on a free transfer. The Hammers never had the firepower to beat Juventus to that deal, but now they could catch him on the rebound.
David has been in and out of the Juve squad all season, with the result being that he has scored just seven goals in 40 games. Even given that he’s averaging barely 50 minutes per appearance, it’s a disappointing return and a far cry from the kind of numbers he put up in France.
With Lille, he passed the 25-goal mark for three consecutive seasons, with his combination of energy, pace, and ability to tear defences apart if given the space ensuring consistent goalscoring returns. At Juventus, however, he has been given fewer opportunities to get in behind defences, and his technical deficiencies have come to the fore more often.
He seems to have lost confidence in front of goal, too, shooting well below his expected goals rate having previously been an efficient finisher. David looks like a poor tactical fit for his team and struggling to find his feet. No wonder Spalletti is ready to move on.
The 26-year-old would hardly be the first out-of-sorts striker to rediscover his touch with a change of scenery, however, and he has succeeded and scored consistently at a high level for so long that this season has to go down as an anomaly.
It’s been a long time since West Ham have signed a striker with the demonstrable ability to hit double figures year after year – or at least, one who doesn’t also have significant fitness problems. Niclas Füllkrug had the track record. He just couldn’t get on the pitch. There is no immediate reason to believe that David would go the same way. Transfermarkt records him as missing the sum total of three matches in his entire professional career through injury.
How likely is it that West Ham sign David from Juventus?
It goes without saying that West Ham won’t have a prayer of signing David if they go down. If they do survive, however, it seems like a perfectly plausible link, especially given that West Ham have established interest in the Canada international.
According to Italian outlet Tuttosport, Juventus are happy to move on for a price in the €25-30m (£21.5-26m) range, a valuation which would ensure a quick profit and an easy sale – helpful, given their precarious financial position. It’s also well within the range of just about any Premier League side.
That includes West Ham but would also include Nottingham Forest should they too stay up – and they are being linked with David as well, along with French outfit Lyon. If West Ham are in position to make a move, they are unlikely to be alone.
With Juventus seemingly happy to facilitate a sale without playing hardball over the price, the door is open to West Ham if they want to walk through. The question is whether they need to elbow anyone else out of the way as they do so. If they are a Premier League club come the summer, however, it’s a deal they should surely bend over backwards to get done.
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