West Ham United are keen on signing Real Betis midfielder Victor Camarasa who recently served a year-long loan stint at Cardiff City. The Welsh side got relegated from the Premier League earlier in the 2018/19 campaign as they were edged narrowly by Brighton & Hove Albion.
According to The Daily Mail, West Ham are interested in bringing the Cardiff City loanee Camarasa to the London Stadium. The Hammers can face stiff competition from the likes of Wolves with Everton and Brighton also looking extensively at the Spaniard.
The 24-year-old, who will be 25 next week, had 9 goal contributions to his name in 33 appearances netting 5 times for the club. He ended the season as the joint top-scorer playing the entirety of 2018/19 campaign from midfield.
Camarasa under Pellegrini: A good option?
Camarasa is a versatile player who features as a central midfielder but can fulfil both defensive midfield and attacking midfield roles on the pitch. Manuel Pellegrini deploys his team in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-1-4-1 formation with the team taking a 4-5-1 shape in the defensive phase of the game.
The Chilean has been on the lookout for central midfielders for quite some time, having being linked with the likes of Marc Roca and Dani Ceballos in the winter transfer window. Camarasa is the latest name to join the long list of midfielders on the Hammers’ radar.
With Mark Noble ageing and Declan Rice linked with a move away from the London Stadium, Pellegrini will be looking to sign more than one midfielder in order to bolster the squad for next season even if they manage to retain Rice in the summer.
Real Betis, meanwhile, are looking for appropriate offers from clubs who can sign the Spaniard on another loan deal or on a permanent basis. The 24-year-old won’t be short of suitors after his decent performances for the Bluebirds in the 2018/19 Premier League season.
Camarasa is quite comfortable on the ball and his crossing on the pitch remains one of his best attributes. His defensive contribution is also quite commendable and under the Chilean, who will want to improve on his side’s defensive play starting from the attack, the Spaniard can play a vital role in that aspect of the game as well.
Camarasa can do both, he can move the ball up the pitch during the buildup and remains a threat on counter-attacks with his speed. His aerial prowess and tackling will take some work but the Spaniard’s knack for scoring goals largely outweighs a couple of these cons.
Under the right manager, Camarasa can take his game to the next level and Pellegrini seems like just the man to do that. The Spaniard has Premier League experience by his side and can be a great addition to the Hammers’ squad both in terms of depth and quality in the dressing room.
Stat Courtesy: Whoscored, Transfermarkt
