West Ham should go all out to sign Mbwana Samatta in January
According to Football London, West Ham are keeping a close eye on KRC Genk centre-forward Mbwana Samatta. However, the Hammers are not the only club interested in the in-form striker with Everton, Brighton and Burnley all lurking for a possible move to sign the 25-year-old.
Mbwana Samatta is perhaps Tanzania’s most recognized footballer of the modern era. Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Samatta started his professional career with Tanzanian club Simba SC and later moved to Congolese outfit TP Mazembe, where he caught the eye with his prolific goalscoring record. The Tanzanian international scored as many as 60 goals from 103 appearances and helped his club to glory in the 2015 CAF Champions League.
Belgian giants KRC Genk signed him in 2016 and he hasn’t looked back since then. Samatta has scored 14 goals in 16 games so far this season, with six of those coming in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.
His wonderful goalscoring record hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Premier League clubs and West Ham should consider making him a top priority in January.
The Hammers made a calamitous start to their Premier League season with four losses out of four but managed to get their campaign back on track with some valuable points against the top half teams, including victories over Manchester United and Everton.
The defeat against Brighton before the international break came at the worst possible time for Manuel Pellegrini’s men, given that things were just beginning to look up after a poor start.
However, they should have plenty of positives to take from their games against Chelsea, Everton and Manchester United. In fact, the manager must be looking to build on those positives when they take on Tottenham this Saturday.
Pellegrini was on a spending spree in the summer and did not hesitate to splash the cash to sign the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson. While these stars made all the headlines, Lukasz Fabianski, Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena and Ryan Fredericks also made their way into the club.
In Marko Arnautovic, West Ham arguably have the best centre-forward outside the top five clubs in the Premier League and the Austrian has played his part with five goals so far. Wide men Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson have also contributed with goals and creativity. However, West Ham need someone who can take the pressure off Arnautovic’s shoulders.
Javier Hernandez doesn’t look like the same player he was at Manchester United and the Mexican has scored only once this season. Michail Antonio works really hard and has the pace to trouble the opposition but doesn’t come up with the desired end product too often. Andy Carroll cannot be relied upon either due to his injury problems.
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As things stand, West Ham need someone who can play a backup role for the No.9 position and Mbwana Samatta seems like a good option. The African is blessed with pace, strength and sharpness and has the instincts of an out-and-out centre-forward. He has a good first touch and combines it with his sharpness to turn away from the defenders in the final third.
The Tanzanian is unafraid to put his foot through the ball and is capable of scoring with powerful shots from inside as well as outside the penalty area. Furthermore, he is strong in the air and times his jump to perfection, which makes him a genuine threat from crosses and set-pieces.
Having said that, West Ham should beat their Premier League rivals to sign this prolific African goal machine. It might as well turn out to be the signing that powers the Hammers to a top-half finish this season.
