West Ham United are hovering dangerously just above the relegation zone in the Premier League, as they are placed at the 15th spot in the league table with 22 points to their name after 22 outings. They are just a couple of points above the drop zone and considering that the relegation dogfight is expected to get nastier in the coming weeks, it goes without saying that they must be looking to enhance the quality of their squad.
The Hammers are currently under the stewardship of David Moyes and one of the players which the former Manchester United manager has been an admirer of for a long time is Bournemouth star, Harry Arter. The London-based outfit had reportedly tabled a bid of £5million earlier this month, as per one of the latest reports, which has been rejected by the Cherries who rate him much higher than the aforesaid figure.
Just like Moyes, Eddie Howe is familiar with the calibre which Arter possesses and he was a pivotal player for the club last season. He signed a new four-year deal in the summer but has fallen out of favour in the recent weeks in Howe’s tactical setup. However, he still remains a key asset for Bournemouth and if West Ham United are really desirous to lure him to the London Stadium, they must at least double their bid.
The Republic of Ireland midfielder has been on the books of Bournemouth ever since the summer of 2010 and has been a fairly productive servant for the club. He has the quality of being a genuine leader on the pitch and is someone who not only shields the backline in a meticulous fashion but also keeps his side compact with his passes and ability to read the game.
Arter can be a galvanizing factor for the Irons, for he is someone who possesses immense experience of English football and is more than capable of dictating Moyes’ side from the middle of the park. He has been handed 13 appearances in the top flight this season, whilst which he has scored 1 goal. Besides, he also has 1.5 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 0.4 clearances and 0.4 blocks per game on an average.
One of the strongest attributes of the 28-year-old is the precision of his passes, with his healthy pass completion rate of 87.4% giving us a testamentary evidence of the same and if Moyes manages to make him sign on the dotted line, it would certainly be a shrewd move by him.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
