West Ham Opinion: Morgan Sanson could prove to be the ideal midfield partner for Declan Rice
According to claims from Football London, West Ham have been offered the chance to sign French midfielder Morgan Sanson from Marseille in the summer transfer window.
The Hammers have been linked with an array of central midfielders in recent months and it is quite evident that manager Manuel Pellegrini is looking to bolster his ranks with multiple changes in personnel, Football London understands.
Sanson is not the only midfielder to be linked with a move to East London, though, with the Hammers believed to be monitoring Barcelona’s Andre Gones, Olympiacos’ Kostas Fartounis, Stanislav Lobotka (Celta Vigo), as well as Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos. (h/t Football London)
Football London also suggests that West Ham are likely to face stiff competition for Morgan Sanson this summer, with fellow Premier League clubs Newcastle United and Wolves also keen on securing the services of the 24-year-old, who is expected to be available for a price of around €25-35 million.
Sanson contributed with 5 goals and 3 assists in 33 Ligue 1 appearances this past season as Marseille finished a disappointing fifth in the domestic league and missed out on Champions League qualification. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old enjoyed another fruitful campaign in France, and with Marseille under pressure to balance their books, a move to the Premier League looks likely to materialize for the central midfielder.
Sanson’s rise in France to one of the most promising midfielders has been quite incredible. From a complete rookie at fifth-tier outfit Bourges to a promising youngster at Le Mans in Ligue 2, and then eventually carving out a reputation for himself in the top-flight with Montpellier and Marseille- it has been a roller-coaster ride for the 24-year-old so far.
The central midfielder has made a total of 108 appearances for Marseille in all competitions till date, accumulating 18 goals and 14 assists in the process. Sanson was one of the key driving forces behind Marseille’s impressive run in the 2017-18 Europa League which saw the Ligue 1 side finish runners-up to Atletico Madrid in the finals.
Essentially a central midfielder by trade, Sanson is capable of seamlessly fitting into box-to-box and holding roles in the middle of the park. Regarded as a specialist No.8 with the versatility to play on either side of the pitch in a midfield three, the 24-year-old combines his wonderful range of passing with his excellent reading of the game, tenacity and hardworking nature to dictate the tempo of the proceedings.
Adept at closing down the opposition and cutting out attacks with tackles and interceptions, Sanson plays the ball off the ground often in order to switch the play and set up attacks from a deep position in the midfield. Noted for his sound positional sense and composure, the 24-year-old not only improves cohesiveness in the midfield but he also helps his team cope effectively with the transitions in play.
To add to that, the Frenchman is a wonderful distance shooter and has a propensity for scoring goals with powerful long-range efforts. Goals and assists from central midfield are crucial to a team’s success and it is quite apparent from his numbers at Marseille that Sanson is more than capable of making an impression in terms of attack.
To put things into perspective, Sanson shares a lot of similarities in traits with Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves and West Ham would undoubtedly bag a massive coup if they manage to have the final say in the race to sign the 24-year-old.
With over 240 career appearances already under his belt at the age of 24, one would expect Sanson to make the step up to the Premier League in due course of time, given that he still has plenty of time to make improvements to his game.
The potential departures of Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez are expected to prompt West Ham to bring in a new No.9 this summer, although the Hammers have plenty of other areas to improve on as well. Central midfield is one such area which is in need of investment, with the likes of Carlos Sanchez and Pedro Obiang failing to make an impression.
West Ham need to bring in a quality central midfielder to complement youngster Declan Rice and act as cover and competition for the ageing club-captain Mark Noble. Morgan Sanson certainly fits the bill and the Hammers have every reason to look at him as a viable option.
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Having secured a top-ten finish in the Premier League this time around, the Hammers will be expected to go one better next season and challenge for a Europa League spot.
Keeping that in mind, they need more depth and quality in all areas of their squad and the acquisition of Sanson would certainly be a step in the right direction.
