Why West Ham should push to sign Luka Jovic from Real Madrid
According to the Express, West Ham United are considering raiding La Liga champions Real Madrid for the transfer of striker Luka Jovic.
The Hammers are staring at the prospect of losing star forward Sebastien Haller, who is being chased by AS Monaco. And in order to replace the Frenchman, the East London outfit have identified the 22-year-old Jovic, along with Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi, as candidates to replace him. (h/t Express)
Profile
Jovic started out at the academy of Serbian out Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) and rose through the ranks rapidly. He went on to make 48 senior appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals before he signed for Benfica in January 2016.
Jovic struggled to get regular game time at the Portuguese club and eighteen months later, he joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a two-year loan stint. After a decent debut campaign, Jovic enjoyed his most prolific season in 2018/19. This led to a high-profile transfer to Real Madrid in 2019, immediately after his transfer to Eintracht was made permanent.
The 22-year-old did not have the best of times in his first season in Spain. He managed just two goals and two assists in 27 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos. Jovic has also featured seven times for the Serbian national team, scoring two goals.
West Ham’s need for attacking reinforcements
The Hammers just about survived relegation from the Premier League in the 2019/20 campaign. Goals had been a major problem for David Moyes’ side until towards the end of the campaign when Michail Antonio stepped up brilliantly. He finished the season as the top scorer with 10 goals, while Haller netted seven times.
Apart from the two, West Ham have no other strikers on their rolls. Indeed, the Hammers sold Albian Ajeti to Celtic just a year after signing him. And with Haller also now being linked with an exit, it goes without saying that Moyes and West Ham need to sign a new centre-forward before the season starts.
Jovic, to that end, would be an option worth considering. While it is true that he failed to make a great impact in Spain, his form at Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2018/19 season when he scored 27 goals in 48 matches, is an indicator of the quality and the goal-threat that he possesses.
If provided with regular chances in the starting XI, the Serbian international can rediscover his form and become a fine acquisition for the Hammers.
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Verdict
West Ham need to bolster their attacking unit heading into the new season if they are to push forward after a disappointing campaign. And Jovic would be a handy signing for the Hammers.
The Serbian showed his quality during his time at Eintracht and if backed with regular game time, he can find his mojo back at West Ham. In addition, at 22, he still has plenty of room for development and should get better with experience. Thus, West Ham should attempt to land him this summer.
