Transfer Story:
West Ham United boosted their survival hopes by defeating Southampton in a virtual six-pointer on Saturday. Marko Arnautovic’s brace allowed David Moyes’ side a breather and their hopes of staying in the top-flight will increase now. However, the club would be keen to modify the squad and to bring in certain quality players to better their performances next season.
Accordingly, the good folk over at The Sun state that the Hammers are having a look at Argentine midfielder Rodrigo Battaglia who plays for Sporting CP. Apparently, three Italian clubs including heavyweights Inter Milan are interested in the Argentine and hence the Hammers would have to tussle quite a lot for his signature.
Rodrigo Battaglia: Player Profile
Battaglia is a central midfielder by trait and usually plays in a deeper position. His work is usually to orchestrate the play from deep areas. He breaks down attacks with his astute positioning and then retains possession with some calm and composed play on the ball. Rodrigo can carry the ball forward too, as his notable footwork and close control help him get out of cramped spaces. Battaglia is strong aerially, and that provides an extra, unique dimension to his game.
Understandably, he is not the most prolific in the attacking department though. In 22 appearances this season, he has scored just once and has created eight goal-scoring chances. Out of the chances he created, just one resulted in an assist. He boasts of a passing accuracy of 84% and usually sprays the ball from deep midfield for his forwards. Rodrigo has won 45% of his defensive duels, though it should be noted that he is not the safest tackler. Just 32% of his tackles have been successful, which indicates that he would need some improvement in that aspect to flourish playing in the more physically demanding Premier League. However, Rodrigo has won an impressive 62% of his aerial duels and has completed 10 successful take-ons out of 14. Rodrigo needs to improve his finishing a tad bit, though he has a good shooting accuracy of 75%.
Should West Ham make a move?
West Ham have lacked quality all over the pitch, and have been hit by bouts of inconsistency usually. The Hammers would need to improve on that and hence Rodrigo would be a valuable addition to the centre of the park. His passing, coupled with aerial prowess, deep-lying playmaking abilities would be a welcome boost for him but with a number of teams interested in him, it remains to be seen whether the Hammers are ready to get into a transfer tussle for him.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
