West Ham United are looking to go into the new season with a new look. They have already replaced David Moyes with Manuel Pellegrini, a former title winner in England, and are now looking at players to take them in the right direction.
This has seen the club linked with some star names and the latest name doing the rounds is Javier Pastore.
West Ham In Talks To Sign Pastore
After slowly losing his place in the first team at PSG, the Argentine international spoke about his frustrating at the French capital in January and it is now understood that the Ligue 1 giants are ready to let him leave this summer.
Having spent insane amounts on stars recently, PSG are in urgent need to balance their books as the FFP rules will force them to sell. West Ham want to take advantage of this situation and are ready to make a bid worth £17.5m to try and land him this summer. It is also reported that Pastore might need to take a wage cut to fit into West Ham’s budget so does this move many any sense?
Pastore And His Record
The 28-year old started his senior career with Talleres, a club in his local area. He moved to Europe for the first time with Palermo in Serie A and was grabbed up by PSG just two years later. He spent four seasons as the first choice midfielder at the club, winning a total of five Ligue 1 titles to date.
However, in the last two season, he was reduced to a squad role and managed just 14 starts last season in the domestic league, picking up four goals and five assist in this time. He played 29 international for Argentine but is not a part of the squad that will travel to Russia for the World Cup later this month.
A fleet-footed midfielder, with great vision and technique, Pastore has 45 goals and 62 assists in 269 games for the French side and is easily one of the most experienced midfielders in Europe at the moment. He is effective in an attacking sense, constantly looking for the ball that can break defences but he is equally strong with his defensive duties, happy to hold onto the ball release pressure on his backline.
Where Does He Fit In?
The Hammers have a strong squad, but one prone to a number of injuries. Moyes used Mark Noble and Chiekhou Kouyate as first choice midfielders last season while Pedro Obiang and Declan Rice have acted as backups.
But Pastore will walk into this side, in one of the two or three midfield roles in Pellegrini’s new system at the London Stadium.
He adds balance and experience to the side and at under £20m, he is an absolute steal. He is still 28 and will hit his peak as a footballer in London, which is a step in the right direction for the Hammers.