West Ham United had a good first season under Manuel Pellegrini as the Hammers finished in the top half of the Premier League.
The Chilean manager is looking to add some quality to his side and has reportedly shortlisted West Brom’s Salomón Rondón.
Rondon was on loan at Newcastle United last season, finishing the year with 12 goals in all competitions and the Player of the Year award.
West Brom, having failed to gain promotion to the Premier League, are looking to sell the Venezuelan forward, who has a release clause of £16.5 million.
Pellegrini is set to let go of Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez, both of whom have failed this season, while Javier Hernandez has also been linked with a move away from the London Stadium.
It remains to be seen if star striker Marko Arnautović will stay at the club, after being linked with a move to China in the January transfer window.
Rondon is one of a few strikers that West Ham are targetting, having also been linked with a move for Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Porto’s Moussa Marega as well.
The Venezuelan is hot property right now as Newcastle United are keen on to bring him back to St. James’ Park – but only after sorting out the future of manager Rafa Benitez.
Will Rondon be a good fit under Pellegrini?
Rondon will be a great player for sides in mid-table as he possesses good Premier League experience, and a proven goalscorer.
The Venezuelan is a player who can dribble past players, take the ball from deep in his own half, linking the midfield and attack in counter-attacking situations.
The 29-year-old is a good finisher and deadly inside the box, while his good close control skills ensure that his team keep the ball or lay it off to his teammates.
In 30 starts for Newcastle in the Premier League, Rondon scored 11 and assisted 7 times. Rondon is also a good free-kick taker, having scored a few from outside the box in his Premier League career.
The striker will be a good signing for the Hammers, who are in need of a goal-scoring forward.
