West Ham United have turned their sights towards Lille’s Jonathan Bamba as an alternative to Jesse Lingard. Bamba has been a part of the French club since 2018, having joined from Saint-Etienne.
As per Daily Express, David Moyes is keen on bringing in an attacker before the end of the transfer window, to take Lingard’s spot in the team. The club has shortlisted Bamba, who could be available for a fee of around £25 million this summer. German side Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Italian side Atalanta, are also interested in signing the 25-year-old.
Jonathan Bamba has two years remaining on his current deal at Lille. The Frenchman was a key player in the Lille side that won Ligue 1 last season.
Jonathan Bamba: Decent choice for the Hammers?
West Ham United have gone off to a flying start in the Premier League season, scoring 8 goals in their opening two games. They kicked off the season with a come-from-behind 2-4 win away at Newcastle United, and then an impressive 4-1 win over Leicester City on Monday.
The Hammers forwards are firing on all cylinders, but with a tough fixture schedule ahead of them due to their involvement in the Europa League, Moyes will need a deeper squad. This is why a move for Jonathan Bamba makes sense for the London side.
The French attacker is a clever, quick, and skillful player who can open up defences with his fine passing and movement. Bamba is primarily a left-sided winger, who likes to cut in on his stronger right foot, but is equally capable of playing in the No. 10 role for his side. The Lille star scored 7 goals and provided 11 assists in 48 games for the club last season. Bamba has the speed and dribbling ability to drift past opposition defences, while he is also good at threading balls in the final third.
He averaged 1.4 dribbles and 1.7 key passes per game in Ligue 1 last season for Lille. Bamba could be a huge threat in counter-attacking situations for the Hammers.
Moyes has a few options out wide and in the No. 10 role presently. Said Benrahma has been superb off the left, while Andriy Yarmolenko and Jarrod Bowen are decent options on the right for Moyes. Pablo Fornals has been a solid, dependable figure in the Hammers midfield and is now being played in his natural No. 10 position. West Ham, though, need at least one more attacker, to give Moyes options as he looks to combat a long season ahead.
To start things off, Jonathan Bamba could be an impact player off the bench or be used in cup games for West Ham. He has the qualities to be a decent player in the Premier League and could be a cheaper alternative to Lingard.
