West Ham United eyeing a move for Bundesliga star: A smart move by Pellegrini?

West Ham United have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa, according to reports.

The Japanese international has been deemed surplus to the requirement by Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre, and a return to the Premier League, where he once played for Manchester United, could be on the cards this summer.

According to Ruhrnachten, West Ham are contemplating a move for Kagawa as they look to add more quality to their squad.

The Hammers will have to compete with Everton for the attacker, however.

Shinji Kagawa: A shrewd move by Pellegrini

West Ham’s struggles with injuries in the midfield department have been well documented. As a result, manager Manuel Pellegrini is keen to sign a new creative midfielder despite boasting the services of Manuel Lanzini, Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri.

This is because none of those three midfielders were able to cross the 700-minute mark in the Premier League during the 2018/19 campaign. And considering how over-reliant West Ham were on the services of Felipe Anderson in terms of creativity, someone like Kagawa would be a welcome addition to the club.

The Borussia Dortmund star has a vast amount of experience in top-flight football, having featured in over 200 competitive matches for the Black and Yellows. He has also won close to 100 caps for the Japanese national team, which is quite remarkable.

As far as style is concerned, Kagawa is primarily an attacking midfielder, who likes to hover around the final third.

The Japanese’s control on the ball coupled with his nimble footwork allows him not only to take on defenders but also carry the ball well in half-spaces. This is an essential trait to have, especially in a possession-oriented system. But, Kagawa often becomes ineffective when employing a counter-attacking system. That means Pellegrini won’t be to utilise the Japanese international against high-quality opposition.

That being said, Kagawa will still be an excellent signing for West Ham, largely because of the experience he will bring into the fold. His current contract at Dortmund expires at the end of next season. That means the Bundesliga giants will be keen to sell him for a cut-price fee rather than seeing him leave the club for free next season.

However, a well-established midfielder like Kagawa is likely to demand a handsome wage, which is mainly the reason why Besiktas won’t prolong his spell at the club this summer. And much like Besiktas, West Ham, too, need to be careful.