TRANSFER STORY
West Ham United are moving closer to a £20m move for Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, it has been claimed.
The English international is considered as the fifth choice midfielder in the pecking order which has fueled rumours that the Hammers might finally succeed in bagging their target, according to a report on The Sun.
Shelvey, who is a boyhood West Ham fan, has struggled with injuries this season but turned out for the U-23s recently, grabbing the winner for his side.
JONJO SHELVEY- FACT FILE
Shelvey began his career at Charlton Athletic as a 16-year-old before moving to Liverpool in 2010. He made 69 appearances for them scoring 7 goals before sealing a move to Swansea City in 2013. Jonjo flourished for the Swans in a 3-year spell scoring 10 goals and notching up 18 assists which led to his move to Newcastle United.
The 27-year-old has played in 106 games for the Magpies, across the Championship and the Premier League. He has scored 7 goals and assisted 19 more but is currently facing a fight to reclaim his starting position in the first team.
JONJO SHELVEY TO WEST HAM UNITED- WHY IT MAKES SENSE
Manuel Pellegrini has come in and transfused an attacking mindset in his players right from the get-go. The Chilean was brought on board to do something similar and the backing he received in the transfer market further stressed the change in mindset Pellegrini was hoping to achieve.
He invested heavily on attacking players and while things took time to get rolling, there have been positive signs for the club despite an avalanche of injuries to a bevvy of first-team players. While things have begun to ease on that front, the injury saga of Jack Wilshere shows no sign of nearing an end.
Jonjo Shelvey, in that regard, can be someone who can execute the gameplan Pellegrini must have envisaged when signing the former Arsenal man. Wilshere is capable of playing the role of a creative midfielder with his wide array of skills while dribbling and technical awareness helping him stand out at one point of time amongst the crop of English midfielders. But wicked luck when it came to fitness has mostly stagnated his career growth and West Ham need to answer this concern in the summer.
With Mark Noble entering his final phase and Declan Rice settling in well in the role of the defensive midfielder, a player like Shelvey can act as the perfect entry into the scheme of things. His propensity to conjure moments of magic more often than not despite his somewhat errant nature of play means he will have a patient manager in Pellegrini to make perfect use of his playing style and capability.
Shelvey’s long-range passing and shooting prowess are amongst the best in England but his lack of defensive awareness and work ethic have somewhat hindered his expected rise.
And in comparison to Wilshere (8 goals and 21 assists), despite the former Gunner mostly playing in more advanced areas of the pitch, Shelvey (13 goals and 23 assists) is ahead in terms of attacking productivity in the Premier League having played almost identical number of minutes.
The former Liverpool man’s superior end product adds further gloss to the fact that he is also useful when it comes to chance creation. In just 11 games this season, he has created 20 chances, which is the highest in his team.
And at the London Stadium, with technically sound midfielders and attackers like Anderson and Yarmolenko ahead of him, we believe Shelvey can finally fulfil his potential and at the reported £20m, he has the potential to deliver a handsome return on the investment.
Stats Courtesy: Transfermarkt
