Why West Ham should go back in the market for Lukas Masopust
Back in August, a report from Czech outlet ISPort (h/t MSN) claimed that West Ham had made a £5million offer for Slavia Prague midfielder Lukas Masopust. However, a move to the English capital failed to materialise for the versatile star before the summer deadline.
Profile
Lukas Masopust started his professional career with Vysocina Jihlava in the Czech top-flight during the 2012-13 season. He featured over 50 times for his boyhood club in all competitions before completing a move to domestic rivals Jablonec in January 2015.
The 27-year-old spent four productive seasons at Jablonec, registering 16 goals and 18 assists in 118 appearances before being snapped up by heavyweights Slavia Prague in January 2019. Masopust has since gone on to establish himself as an integral member of the squad, helping his side lift two domestic league titles and the Czech Cup.
Masopust has amassed 14 goals and 10 assists in 68 appearances across all competitions for Slavia so far, while also earning 17 caps for Czech Republic at the senior international level.
Masopust would add more depth to the Hammers’ ranks
West Ham have raided the Czech market to good effect in recent times with deals for Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal. Both players have made a seamless transition to the Premier League under David Moyes after enjoying productive spells at Slavia Prague in their homeland.
To that end, reigniting interest in Lukas Masopust could well be a smart idea for the Hammers if they opt to add more depth to their ranks. The 27-year-old has made close to 250 club career appearances in his homeland and looks more than ready to follow in the footsteps of his former Slavia teammates Coufal and Soucek to East London.
Masopust’s versatility should be enough to tempt the Hammers to lure him to the English capital in the upcoming transfer window. The Czech Republic international is comfortable operating anywhere down the right-hand side of the pitch.
West Ham will eventually need to start reshaping their midfield and attack, with Mark Noble and Robert Snodgrass both 33 and nearing the end of their contracts next summer. With Felipe Anderson no longer a part of the club’s plans and Andriy Yarmolenko struggling for consistency, having a utility option like Masopust would certainly boost Moyes’ squad dynamics.
The former Jablonec star also boasts an impressive record of goals and assists, meaning a potential deal for him in January would also reduce the creative workload on the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals up top.
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Verdict
West Ham added Said Benrahma to bolster their attack in the summer but the Algerian’s suitability to a left-wing role means that there are still plenty of gaps to be plugged on the other side of the pitch.
Lukas Masopust has shown enough promise in his homeland and still has his best years ahead of him at 27. Having said that, the Hammers should definitely start pursuing an interest in the Slavia Prague star ahead of the mid-season trading period.
