West Ham join race for 24 y/o Paraguayan attacker: Pros and Cons of a possible move

West Ham United are ready to battle it out with league rivals Newcastle United and Everton for the services of Miguel Almiron claims a report on Sun(via Talksport).

The Hammers might be looking to bulk up their offensive department in the upcoming January transfer window following the injuries of Andy Carroll (who despite returning to the fray cannot be trusted in the long term), Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko and it is believed that the Atlanta United attacker has been identified as a top candidate.

In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of Almiron’s potential transfer to the London Stadium.

Pros

Miguel Almiron is certainly a unique attacker, who can offer creativity as well as the final product in the final third. Indeed, the Paraguayan international has bagged 13 goals and 13 assists in the MLS this year, making him the fifth most productive attacker in the corresponding season.

Almiron has also been involved in 43 goals since joining Atlanta United at the start of last year, which are truly astonishing numbers for any attacker in the world. Therefore, he has certainly proven himself as a productive attacker, who will surely revamp West Ham’s offensive department.

In addition, the 24-year-old is blessed with immense technical qualities and he can easily link-up with teammates in the final third. He also averages around four attempts per game, which is indicative of his eagerness to find the back of the net.

Most importantly, however, Almiron can provide the necessary creative spark going forward, something that West Ham have lacked due to the absence of Lanzini. The Paraguayan international can be deployed as the lone attacking midfielder, where he can not only provide key passes but also act as the support striker alongside Marko Arnautovic, making him a tailor-made fit in the Hammers’ set-up.

Cons

While Almiron is undoubtedly a talented attacker, who has also proven himself in recent years, the attacker lacks physical prowess – something that has become almost a necessity for any Premier League attacker these days.

He can be shrugged off the ball quite easily while he’s also quite ineffective when it comes to headed duels. Thus, he may not be, physically, a fit for the English top flight at the moment.

Most importantly, Almiron has no experience of playing in Europe. The Atlanta star is yet to play for any European club during his career, having played in his native Paraguay and Argentina before moving to the United States last year.

This could be a huge issue as he is bound to struggle in integrating to the fast-paced nature of the Premier League, making him no less than a gamble for the Londoners.

Stat courtesy: Whoscored