West Ham interested in summer move for 12-goal Eredivisie ace – Could this be a good move?

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Rohan Sengupta

Why West Ham should make a move for Oussama Idrissi in the summer

According to Italian media outlet Calcio Mercato (h/t Leicester Mercury), West Ham are one of the host of clubs interested in signing AZ Alkmaar winger Oussama Idrissi.

Oussama Idrissi, 23, has enjoyed an impressive campaign with AZ Alkmaar, racking up 12 goals and two assists in 21 Eredivisie games. He has also netted three goals in 12 Europa League appearances. The Moroccan international’s performances have also caught the eyes of Leicester City and Everton, along with AS Roma and Ajax, the report adds. (h/t Leicester Mercury)

Speaking about West Ham, they are currently in all sorts of problems. The Hammers lie 18th in the table and relegation to the Championship could be a real possibility this season. David Moyes signed Darren Randolph, Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen during the January transfer window to bolster his squad for the second half of the campaign.

Astana's Kazakh midfielder Didar Zhalmukan (L) fights for the ball with AZ Alkmaar's Moroccan forward Oussama Idrissi during the Europa League Group L football match between AZ Alkmaar and FC Astana at the Cars Jeans stadium in The Hague, on October 24, 2019. (Getty Images)
Astana’s Kazakh midfielder Didar Zhalmukan (L) fights for the ball with AZ Alkmaar’s Moroccan forward Oussama Idrissi during the Europa League Group L football match between AZ Alkmaar and FC Astana at the Cars Jeans stadium in The Hague, on October 24, 2019. (Getty Images)

West Ham have had problems in scoring goals this term, managing just 30 goals in 25 games. Club-record signing Sebastien Haller has not lived up to the expectations at the London Stadium, scoring six goals in 24 games.

Very often than not, Haller has found little service in the box, with wide players such as Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko and Michail Antonio struggling to perform to the required standards. Anderson, in particular, has been unimpressive this season as he has bagged just a goal and four assists in 19 league appearances.

The Brazilian enjoyed a solid debut campaign in English football, scoring nine goals and registering four assists in 36 appearances. When compared, he hasn’t been able to improve this term and a part of Anderson’s struggles could be down to the lack of quality and competition in the wide areas.

That’s why the signing of Oussama Idrissi would make sense for West Ham. As per WhoScored, Idrissi has averaged 2.9 shots per game, 1.9 key passes, 3.7 dribbles and 43.3 average passes, whilst achieving a pass success rate of 82.6%. The Moroccan international has also racked up 12 goals and two assists in 21 Eredivisie appearances.

West Ham winger Felipe Anderson celebrates after scoring. (Getty Images)
West Ham winger Felipe Anderson celebrates after scoring. (Getty Images)

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Anderson, on the other hand, has averaged 1.1 shots per game, 1.3 key passes, 3 dribbles and 43.7 average passes, whilst achieving a pass success rate of 79.1%. The Brazilian has only managed a goal and four assists in 19 Premier League appearances. [Courtesy: WhoScored]

Verdict

When compared, Idrissi has better numbers almost in every area than Anderson. Going purely by stats, he would be an upgrade over the West Ham player. The AZ Alkmaar star would undoubtedly bolster West Ham’s wide department, whilst bringing competition in the squad. Thus, the Moroccan international is definitely one player that the Hammers should consider signing in the summer.