West Ham make contact to sign £22m “jewel”

We’re just one week into the brand new Premier League season, and alarm bells are already going off at West Ham United.

Graham Potter travelled to the North East to tackle newly-promoted Sunderland for his or her season opener, however as an alternative of banking three factors, they had been performed off the park, shipped three targets and returned to East London empty-handed.

It was the type of efficiency that ought to scare the board into motion and result in some extra arrivals earlier than the switch window slams shut in two weeks.

Luckily, the membership do appear intent on making extra signings, and have now been linked with somebody who’d be an improve on one other goal: Mateus Fernandes.

West Ham goal Fernandes improve

Whereas West Ham have made a couple of affordable additions to the squad this summer season in Kyle Walker-Peters, El Hajdu Malick Diouf and Mads Hermansen, they’ve not finished sufficient, which could clarify their curiosity in Fernandes.

It was reported that the membership had made a £30m supply for the Southampton star final week, nevertheless it was rapidly rejected, just for the Saints to demand in extra of £50m for the 21-year-old expertise.

Luckily, it seems to be just like the Hammers at the moment are concentrating on one other midfielder who’d seemingly be extra reasonably priced and will even be an improve on the Portuguese gem.

Not less than that’s based on a latest report from Marco Conterio, who has claimed that West Ham are one among a number of groups fascinated with Eljif Elmas.

Greater than that, the journalist has revealed that the Irons have already made “an essential inquiry” in regards to the RB Leipzig ace, who has already turned down a suggestion from Süper Lig outfit Besiktas.

A possible worth is just not talked about within the report, however as Leipzig paid €25m – £22m – for the midfielder in January 2024 after which loaned him out this January, we do not think about he’d price way more than what they paid.

If that’s the case, West Ham might get their arms on a less expensive improve to Fernandes.

How Elmas compares to Fernandes

One of many benefits some may argue Fernandes has over Elmas is his Premier League expertise, and whereas that’s actually a good level, it fails to take into consideration the truth that the Macedonian worldwide has much more expertise enjoying in different top-five leagues.

For instance, regardless of nonetheless being simply 25 years outdated, he has made 156 appearances in Serie A and 16 within the Bundesliga, after which on prime of that, he has additionally performed 25 video games within the Champions League and 21 within the Europa League.

One other space the place the previous Napoli ace excels is output. In simply 19 appearances final season, totalling 1115 minutes, he scored 4 targets and offered 5 assists, averaging a aim involvement each 3.8 video games or each 223 minutes.

For his efforts, the previous Sporting CP gem was capable of rating three targets and supply six assists in 44 appearances, totalling 3409 minutes final season, which comes out to a barely much less spectacular common of a aim involvement each 4.88 video games, or 378.77 minutes.

Lastly, we are able to actually see how way more of a whole participant the Skopje-born dynamo is once we have a look beneath the hood and evaluate their underlying numbers.

For instance, the goalscoring “jewel,” as he was dubbed by his agent George Gardi, comes out forward in virtually each metric, together with issues like non-penalty targets plus assists, progressive carries, shot and goal-creating actions, passing accuracy, passes into the penalty space and extra, all per 90.

In different phrases, the Macedonian game-changer is a much more harmful participant than the Portuguese ace and will find yourself having a big affect on Potter’s squad this season.

Due to this fact, whereas it may be difficult, West Ham ought to do all they will to signal Elmas over Fernandes this season.