Why West Ham should take a punt on Adam Armstrong in January
According to Lancashire Live, West Ham have been credited with an interest in Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong ahead of the January window. As per the report, Hammers boss David Moyes is on the lookout for a new striker during the mid-season trading period to add more depth to his squad. Armstrong’s prolific form in the Championship has catapulted him on to the club’s radar.
Profile
A youth exponent of Newcastle United, Adam Armstrong represented the Magpies at U-18 and U-23 levels before making his senior breakthrough in the Premier League during the 2013-14 season. He made several substitute appearances in the following campaign but was loaned out to Coventry City for the 2015-16 campaign after struggling to establish himself as a regular fixture at St. James’ Park.
Armstrong bagged 20 goals in 40 appearances for Coventry in League One before going on to spend time on loan at Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers in the Championship. He joined Blackburn Rovers on loan in January 2018 and completed a permanent move to Ewood Park in the summer after helping the club secure promotion from the third tier.
The 23-year-old has established himself as a prolific goalscorer in the Championship over the past 12 months. Armstrong bagged 16 league goals for Rovers last term and looks well on course to bettering those returns with 13 goals in 13 games in the second-tier this season so far.
Armstrong would add more depth to the Hammers’ attack
Michail Antonio started the campaign as West Ham’s first-choice centre-forward after bagging 10 goals in 24 league appearances for the Hammers last term. The 30-year-old carried on from where he had signed off in the previous campaign, scoring thrice in the club’s 6 opening league fixtures, including a superb overhead kick against Man City.
Sebastien Haller has done a decent job since the injury to Antonio late in October, starting West Ham’s last three games in the PL. The Frenchman recently scored his second league goal of the season, netting the winner in a 1-0 win over bottom-table Sheffield United.
Haller, though, hasn’t really lived up to the expectations following his move from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer. An overall tally of 9 goals in 40 PL outings clearly underlines that the towering hitman has struggled for form and consistency.
Putting thins into context, West Ham can certainly do with another striker to ensure healthy competition for places in their ranks, meaning a potential deal for Adam Armstrong would make a lot of sense.
Jarrod Bowen’s success at the London Stadium serves as a perfect blueprint that the Championship can often be a happy hunting ground for the PL clubs. Armstrong looks like a player ready to make the step up to the top-flight. Armstrong has been quite sensational in the second-tier in recent months and West Ham would have a gem on their hands if he manages to deliver the goods in the PL.
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Verdict
West Ham have prioritised the recruitment of young players with the potential to grow under David Moyes’ stewardship and Adam Armstrong certainly fits the bill in that regard. The former Newcastle man is only going to get better with time and the Hammers completing a move in January would surely pay off handsomely for their long-term plans.
