West Ham Opinion: Hammers should move for Christian Kouame
According to claims from Football Italia, West Ham and Everton are interested in signing Genoa striker Christian Kouame.
West Ham and Everton have been keeping tabs on the 21-year-old Ivorian and it is believed that the youngster has impressed the scouts.
The Calciomercato reports that Genoa
Kouame has enjoyed a wonderful start to his career in the Italian top flight with Genoa, registering 4 goals and 7 assists from 29 appearances in all competitions.
The 21-year-old made a name for himself in the second-tier at Cittadella last time around, which probably prompted Genoa to make a move for him, and the Ivorian has successfully made the step up to the Serie A this season.
Known for his pace, power, athleticism and hardworking nature, Kouame is a versatile attacker who is primarily a centre-forward by trade but he is equally suited to playing out wide on either flank.
The Ivorian combines his lightning pace and trickery on the ball with his agility and sharpness to cut inside from the flanks, often creating space for himself with quick turns and clever changes of direction. His directness to run at defenders and ability to use his quick feet to dribble at pace make him a potent threat in the final third.
Known for his work-rate and stamina, Kouame often drops deep to win back possession and initiates counter-attacks with his pace and intelligent link-up play. The Ivorian’s ability to attack the space in front of him and make dangerous runs into the penalty area make him a more complete striker.
Standing at 6ft.1 inch, Kouame boasts of good upper body strength and uses his physicality to shrug off challenges, often timing his jump to perfection to score goals with his head. He has a good eye for defence-splitting passes and is equally adept at setting up goals with whipped crosses across the six-yard box from the flanks.
To put things into perspective, Kouame is still an unproven talent but West Ham might have a real gem in their hands if they manage to strike a deal for the youngster in the summer. The Ivorian has all the necessary attributes to excel in the Premier League and the Hammers can look at him as a good long-term investment.
With the futures of Javier Hernández, Andy Carroll, Lucas Perez and Marko Arnautovic at east London still very much up in the air, Manuel Pellegrini might be aiming for another squad overhaul in the summer.
All the four aforementioned strikers have had issues with injuries and the Hammers need a reliable presence up front to aim for better things. Given that Kouame has only just enjoyed his breakout season in the Serie A, the price tag is a bit daunting but he is unlikely to be the only attacking outlet arriving at the London Stadium in the summer.
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The 21-year-old is still a bit raw and unpolished but Pellegrini certainly has the charisma and the acumen to unlock his potential and work on the rough edges in his game.
Given that the Hammers would be expected to compete for a Europa League spot next season, spending such a sum on Kouame might be a risky proposition, but certainly one that can bring a lot of rewards as well. That said, they should fend off interest from other clubs to strike a deal for the youngster.
