Why West Ham should revive their interest in Moussa Wague
Last month, Mundo Deportivo (h/t The Sun) claimed that West Ham were interested in signing Barcelona youngster Moussa Wague in a bid to bolster their backline. However, no talks have progressed since then.
The report also suggested that the Catalan giants are ready to sell him and the Hammers could tempt him away from Camp Nou for £9m or land him on a loan spell.
Profile
Born in Senegal, Wague came through the ranks of ASPIRE academy in Qatar and joined Belgian outfit KAS Eupen in January 2017. He made 43 appearances for the Belgian side, scoring 1 goal and providing 4 assists and his impressive performances earned him a move to the Catalan giants the following summer.
However, he managed just 6 appearances for Barcelona’s senior team and was sent on loan to Nice last February. But he couldn’t show his talents as the league got called off due to the pandemic.
At the age of 21, he has already made 14 appearances for Senegal and caught the attention with his performances in the last World Cup. He was also instrumental in taking his side to the Africa Cup of Nations finals last year.
Wague could add depth to West Ham’s defence
Despite being inconsistent throughout the campaign, David Moyes’ side managed to secure their top-flight status. However, it is clear that they are in dire need of reinforcements if they are to do better in the next campaign.
The defence has been unstable, conceding 62 goals throughout the season. And one key area where the manager should focus on strengthening is the right-back position. They are left with just Ryan Fredericks on the right side of the defence after Pablo Zabaleta left when his contract came to an end and Jeremy Ngakia also exited after refusing to extend his stay.
Thus, reviving their interest in Wague would be a wise decision by the club. The youngster has already shown immense potential. He has been impressive at both ends of the pitch whenever he was given time. In 5 Ligue 1 games this term, he managed to provide 2 assists and should only get better with experience.
His inclusion would definitely add depth to West Ham’s backline, whilst also bringing in healthy competition for Fredricks. He has all the attributes to succeed at a higher level and can go on to represent the Hammers for a number of years.
Read more
- Why West Ham should offer Michail Antonio a new deal
- Why Shane Duffy would bolster the West ham defence
Verdict
At 21, Wague can develop himself into a better player under the guidance of someone like David Moyes. Given West Ham’s lack of options at the back, they should reignite their interest in the youngster, who has already impressed at international level.
