West Ham should go all out to sign Franco Vazquez in January
West Ham are set to revive their interest in Sevilla playmaker Franco Vazquez in January after missing out on a deal in the summer, claims The Sun.
The 29-year-old creative midfielder started his career with Argentine outfit Belgrano and later shifted base to the Serie A with Palermo in 2012. It was during his time in the Serie A that he made a name for himself with some consistent top-notch performances. Vazquez accumulated 18 goals and 17 assists over the course of his two seasons in the Serie A, which earned him a move to Spanish club Sevilla.
He has established himself as a key player in Sevilla’s ranks and made 30 appearances in the La Liga last term where he registered 4 goals and 6 assists. The 29-year-old has hit the ground this season as well, scoring once and assisting another two.
Manuel Pellegrini signed as many as nine players in the summer as West Ham made the headlines with the signings of Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko and Issa Diop. However, the Chilean endured a horrible start to his tenure at east London, losing four out of his first four games.
West Ham turned their fortunes around with victories against Everton and Manchester United but lost momentum once again with defeats to Brighton and Tottenham.
Quite clearly, the Hammers haven’t been able to live up to the expectations, particularly after signing so many high-profile players in the summer.
Declan Rice has established himself as a standout performer for the Londoners in central midfield while Marko Arnautovic has once again proved that he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
However, West Ham still lack that sense of cohesion in their game. The midfield trio of Mark Noble, Declan Rice and Pedro Obiang has done their job to a considerable extent but there seems to be no link between defense and attack. In other words, West Ham need someone who can spark that creativity in the midfield.
Rice is more of a defensive midfielder who shields the rearguard effectively while Mark Noble is a midfield engine who does not have that creative influence on the game. Pedro Obiang is capable of playing as a deep-lying playmaker but he hasn’t been consistent enough. West Ham have been hit hard by the injury to Jack Wilshere, someone who is capable of playing a box-to-box role and can have that creative influence at the same time.
Franco Vazquez is a versatile No.10 who is capable of playing in multiple positions in the midfield. A quick, skilful and mobile left-footed player, the 29-year-old combines his remarkable technique with his sharpness to influence the proceedings. He is not only capable of scoring goals but can also contribute to the team with a lot of assists.
Although he is not particularly fast, the Argentine international is a valuable asset with his incredible vision and uses it to release his teammates into free spaces with incisive passes.
Vazquez has good close control and uses his technique to beat the opposition with silky dribbling skills. He is capable of playing as a central attacking midfielder, winger, central midfielder and a supporting striker. He averaged 1.9 shots per game, 1.4 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game last term in the La Liga.
The 29-year-old exhibits the rare versatility to play in any position in the midfield and final third and he might prove to be the missing link between West Ham’s defense and attack.
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Moreover, he has the experience of playing in the La Liga, Serie A and the Europa League, something that should add a lot of value to a team like West Ham.
That said, reviving interest in the versatile 29-year-old is likely to do West Ham a world of good and they should not hesitate to table a handsome bid to land him in January.
