West Ham United are closing in on Eintracht Frankfurt striker Sebastien Haller, it has been claimed.
The Hammers are in the market to add another forward following the departures of Andy Carroll and Marko Arnautovic.
As per journalist Nicolo Schira, West Ham United have all but signed Haller for a fee of €40 million. The deal is yet to be confirmed by the club, however.
Under the tutelage of Manuel Pellegrini, the Hammers finished tenth in the Premier League standings last season.
West Ham are expected to compete for a place in Europe next season, and Haller’s addition will help them push the top sides next season.
Sebastien Haller: Profile
Haller was part of the Auxerre youth academy, and it didn’t take him long to make his senior team debut. He also had an impressive loan spell with Dutch side FC Utrecht, and was then signed permanently by them.
In the summer of 2017, he switched to Eintracht Frankfurt and has developed into one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga.
The 25-year-old plundered 15 goals and bagged 9 assists in 29 German top-flight appearances last season, and helped his side finish seventh in the league standings.
Haller is yet to make his French debut, but if he continues to impress like he has been in the last few years, he could soon force Didier Deschamps’ hand.
Is Haller a good replacement for Arnautovic?
Haller is built like a tank, and would be a handful for any centre-back in the Premier League as he is supreme in the air and can outmuscle defenders.
The 25-year old knows exactly where the goal is, and is a clinical finisher as well. His technical ability and expertise to play short passes and link-up play will suit Pellegrini’s system well.
The Frenchman also has good game awareness, something that will hold him in good stead at the London stadium. He managed nine assists and 1.3 key passes per game last season in addition to the 15 goals he scored, which is impressive.
In all fairness, he can fill the void left behind by Arnautovic. However, he needs to work on his ability to hold the ball in the final third and not lose it quickly.
It’s been a while since West Ham had a good all-round forward, and Haller’s style and performances suggest that he can be the missing piece of the jigsaw.