West Ham United are scouring across the market as Julen Lopetegui continues to seek out improvements to his squad. Having welcomed Max Kilman and teenage winger Luis Guilherme already, the Irons are clearly mustering forces fit to challenge for a place in European competition.
With Danny Ings failing to impress in east London, scoring just four times across 52 appearances, it's vital that the Irons address their weakness up front, indeed having been blighted by the absence of a first-rate goalscorer last season – Jarrod Bowen notwithstanding.
Michail Antonio is also 34 and approaching the twilight. He scored seven Premier League goals last season but was limited to just 21 starts due to injuries.
West Ham will sign a striker, but technical director Tim Steidten certainly isn't restricting his gaze to that one position, with another winger being considered at the London Stadium.
West Ham offered talented winger
As per HITC, Borussia Dortmund have offered winger Karim Adeyemi to a host of Premier League clubs this summer after Edin Terzic stepped down at the end of the 2023/24 season.
New Yellow Wall boss Nuri Sahin does not hold the 22-year-old close in his plans, and West Ham are among the clubs to have been contacted by the German's agents.
Dortmund would consider offers in excess of €30m (£25m), so whether the Hammers would be willing to sanction such an outlay with the front of the ship still in need of redress is unclear.
Why Karim Adeyemi would thrive at West Ham
If finances work out, Adeyemi could prove to be an excellent addition for a reshaping West Ham side, having been hailed for his "electric" pace by analyst Ben Mattinson and indeed offering a skillset tailored for Premier League success, clocking a top speed of 36.65 km/h in 2024.
He only scored five goals across 34 matches for Dortmund last season but started just ten times in the Bundesliga, with injuries and subsequent struggles for form hindering his hopes for fluency.
Still, as per FBref, he ranked among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Bundesliga last season for progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, highlighting his ball-carrying qualities.
Despite lacking in prolificness somewhat, Adeyemi has so much more to give – with talent scout Jacek Kulig even claiming that he is a "nightmare" for defenders – and is already impressing with the rounded nature of his style, leading FBref to record Bowen as one of his most comparable players.
Matches played
34
24
Goals
16
6
Assists
6
5
Pass completion
75%
77%
Key passes per game
0.9
1.2
Ball recoveries per game
3.5
4.2
Dribbles per game
1.0
1.4
Duels won per game
4.4
3.8
While Adeyemi still has a long way to go, it can be noted from the table above that he has many of Bowen's qualities, blending his goalscoring ability with moblity, dribbling expertise and combativeness. After all, Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has already expressed his admiration for the young forward, saying that "not many players can stop him" once he gets going after dismantling Chelsea in the Champions League in 2022/23.
His two-footedness is also a big plus, for it would allow him to compete across both flanks for Lopetegui's side and earn ample opportunity to impress.
Given that West Ham signed Bowen from Championship side Hull City for £22m when he was only 23, the now distinguished 27-year-old has demonstrated the trajectory that can be taken if one plies their trade with diligence, making the right move to expand the skillset.
Adeyemi must sign for West Ham, where he can build his natural-born qualities and shape into something special.
Lopetegui must swiftly axe West Ham flop who earns over 4x more than Duran
He’s been a colossal failure of a signing.
ByAngus Sinclair Jul 14, 2024
