Patson Daka: Moyes’ dream West Ham forward?
An encouraging update has emerged in West Ham United’s mooted pursuit of Patson Daka this week…
What’s the word?
According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, the Irons haven’t given up hope of securing the RB Salzburg sensation despite interest from sister club RB Leipzig.
Back in January, the East London outfit were originally linked to the 22-year-old following the departure of Sebastien Haller, who departed for Ajax in a £20m deal, as per the Mirror.
Now it appears that David Moyes seems keen to revisit the target when the transfer window reopens this summer, though any move could cost the Hammers in the region of £25m.
Perfect striker?
It’s well-known that West Ham will look to sign another forward to bolster Moyes’ frontline this summer and Daka would certainly be some statement.
The Irons have every chance of securing him now, too, having qualified for the Europa League, which will make them an instantly move attractive destination for many of their targets.
Since the turn of the year, the Scotsman has only been able to call upon the injury-prone Michail Antonio to lead his line but his profile could provide clues into the sort of striker that he wants to sign.
Daka has to be amongst the most perfect of options.
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“He is a modern centre-forward, quick, capable of working hard and making the difference because he is skilful and has good movement,” suggested ex-Zambia head coach Herve Renard.
Whilst he has earned lofty comparisons to Premier League great, Thierry Henry.
“When I saw Patson Daka, what came into my mind is this guy is the next Thierry Henry – and in no time he has proved it,” once claimed his former Power Dynamos manager Dan Kabwe before further adding: “He is an intelligent boy and full of talent.”
The £18m-rated marksman has been in electrifying form this campaign, providing a whopping 34 goals and 12 assists in 42 appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.
That’s one direct goal contribution every game, or once every 63 minutes.
Daka also works incredibly hard off the ball, drawing further inspiration to why he might be a perfect fit under Moyes. He averaged 1.2 tackles per game across both European competitions this term, via WhoScored. And despite it being a small sample size, it is a significant feat for a centre-forward.
By comparison, Antonio averaged 0.3 tackles per league game this term, and he’s considered to be a big workhorse in this current side, so Daka’s returns speak volumes.
This has even been reinforced by his current boss Jesse Marsch, who claimed: “He is a great lad on and off the pitch, he is hardworking and he is a little fast. It’s a just lot of fun working with him and I hope he continues with this development he has a lot of potential, he is just a fantastic player.”
A player of this calibre would surely have no problem in adapting to the fast pace of the Premier League and in beating Leipzig, Sullivan and co could land themselves a masterclass.
They must sanction a £25m move for the prolific marksman this summer.
AND in other news, David Moyes set to receive major West Ham transfer boost, claims insider…