West Ham Opinion: Hammers should beat Watford to sign Joe Allen
According to The Telegraph, West Ham and Watford are set to go head to head in a transfer tug of war over Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen in the summer, with reports claiming the Hammers are set to reignite their interest in the 29-year-old Welsh star.
This is not the time first though, that West Ham have expressed an interest in the former Liverpool star, with the Daily Mail reporting previously that the east London outfit were prepared to offer £25million to secure the services of Allen back in January 2018.
Allen is one of the high-profile players who are likely to head for the exit door in the summer after Stoke’s failure to challenge for promotion back to the Premier League in the first time of asking, having been relegated from the top-flight last season.
The Potters lost Xherdan Shaqiri to Liverpool last summer and it looks as if Allen is also set for a return to the top flight, with West Ham and Watford both weighing up moves for the 29-year-old.
West Ham’s links with Allen is likely to evoke mixed reactions amongst the fans at east London. While some are likely to consider Allen as just another Mark Noble kind of player, others might look at him as a decent Premier League quality midfielder, who can be a perfect solution to the club’s ongoing crisis in the middle of the park.
Nevertheless, Allen is only 29 and he still has a lot to offer at the highest level, so signing him won’t be a bad idea for the Hammers.
The Welshman joined Stoke City from Liverpool in the summer of 2016 and has established himself as a key player at the Bet365 Stadium.
He was one of the brightest sparks of the Potters’ Premier League campaign that ended in relegation last season and he has barely put a foot wrong in the Championship this term, chipping in with 6 goals and 4 assists from 44 league appearances.
Meanwhile, West Ham finished the week outside the top ten, having played out an enthralling 2-2 draw with Leicester City at home. The Hammers were well and truly in the race for a Europa League qualification spot just a month back but a mediocre run of form has seen their hopes of playing in Europe fade away.
West Ham have a Premier League-winning manager in Manuel Pellegrini at the helm of affairs and they should look to mount a better challenge for Europe next time around.
West Ham have struggled with injuries and inconsistencies throughout the campaign and Pellegrini needs to ensure that he has a big enough squad of players to choose from in order to avoid another burn out of options next term.
While an overhaul of the attacking ranks at the club is very much on the cards in the summer, another area that is in dire need of investment is the central midfield.
Youngster Declan Rice has been an ever-present for the Hammers in the holding midfield role, while Mark Noble has also risen to the occasion at times. However, West Ham would need to make a call on the futures of Pedro Obiang and Carlos Sanchez, with both the midfielders struggling for form and fitness.
Joe Allen is a proven customer at the Premier League level, having made close to 200 appearances in the top-flight for the likes of Liverpool, Swansea City and Stoke City, and he has all the attributes to slot straight into Pellegrini’s first team.
Known for his tenacity, work-rate, composure on the ball and impressive distribution, Allen not only has the ability to hold things together in central midfield but he is also adept at creating chances with delightful through balls.
He contributes to the build-up play, tends to chip in with valuable goals and assists and has a tendency of making late runs into the box to catch the opposition off guard.
To Read More West Ham News, Click Here:- Latest West Ham News
The 29-year-old also has a bagful of Champions League and Europa League experience in his CV and West Ham should relish having a proven player like Allen in their ranks.
He still has about 2-3 years left in his prime and the Hammers have every reason to look at him as a viable option. That said, they should go all out in their pursuit of the Welsh midfield enforcer in the summer and beat off competition from Watford to get their hands on him.
