West Ham Opinion: Alexis Claude-Maurice could prove to be a useful addition to the Hammers ranks

According to Metro, West Ham have submitted a £10 million bid for FC Lorient attacker Alexis Claude-Maurice, with reports claiming that the Hammers are looking to go one better than their London rivals in the race to sign the highly-rated 21-year-old.

Claude-Maurice impressed with 14 goals and 4 assists for FC Lorient in Ligue 2 this past season but the French youth international is expected to head for the exit door this summer following his club’s failure to challenge for promotion to the top-flight.

The French prodigy has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League with north London giants Arsenal over the past few months, with reports claiming that the Gunners failed with a £9 million bid for the 21-year-old.

Arsenal are not the only Premier League club to have been credited with an interest in Claude-Maurice, though, with newly-promoted outfit Norwich City also in the race to sign the versatile attacker. (h/t Metro)

Metro also understands that a number of top-flight clubs in France, including Monaco and Lille, are also keen on securing the services of the in-demand winger this summer.

West Ham’s links with Claude-Maurice comes as little surprise to the fans at East London given the Hammers are likely to push for a massive squad overhaul this summer, having spent a fortune upon the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini at the start of the last season.

Getting rid of the deadwood should be high on the manager’s priority list and one would expect to see a lot of new faces in West Ham’s forward line next season, with the likes of Andy Carroll, Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez all linked with exits from the London Stadium.

Also, West Ham desperately need to reduce the average age of their squad and having so many players around the 30-year mark isn’t going to help their cause in the longer run.

Keeping that in mind, Alexis Claude-Maurice presents an exciting option for a reasonable price, and while one might argue that the difference in the level of competition between Ligue 2 and the Premier League is quite massive, there’s no doubt that the 21-year-old is an immensely talented player with a lot of potential.

The prospect of playing in the Premier League and furthering his development under the watchful eyes of Manuel Pellegrini should appeal to the youngster and there is no reason why the Hammers shouldn’t go head-to-head with Arsenal in this transfer tug of war.

Moreover, the Hammers need to bolster their attacking ranks with some fresh blood in a bid to add that much-needed depth, X-factor and unpredictability to their squad, and a promising youngster like Claude-Maurice certainly fits the bill. The 21-year-old has also featured prominently for France at U-19 and U-20 levels, meaning that there is certainly something very good about him.

Essentially a left-winger by trade, Claude-Maurice is noted for his high top-speed, incredible acceleration, dribbling skills, sharpness and agility, whilst also boasting of the versatility to play as a supporting striker in a No.10 role. However, he is at his best when deployed out wide on the left, which allows him to cut inside with his stronger right foot and create chances with his passing and vision.

The 21-year-old’s ability to run at defenders and dribble at pace make him an exciting prospect but those are not the only impressive attributes in his game. An aggressive player by nature noted for his flamboyance and exuberance, the youngster has a propensity for unleashing powerful and accurate shots from outside the box, whilst his ability to move the ball around quickly and link up with his teammates make him a more complete player.

Felipe Anderson enjoyed a wonderful debut season at East London, and while West Ham are likely to have the services of Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko at their disposal right from the start of the next campaign, someone like Claude-Maurice could add just that extra bit to their attack.

Having secured a top-ten finish in the Premier League this term, the Hammers will be expected to challenge for a Europa League spot next season, and depth in all areas of the squad could prove to be a crucial factor for them.

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Matteo Gundouzi, who was a teammate of Alexis Claude-Maurice at FC Lorient in the French second-tier, has made a name for himself at Arsenal, so there is no reason why the latter cannot emulate his compatriot’s success in English football.