West Ham are reportedly plotting a January swoop for Sparta Prague sensation Adam Hlozek.
A youth product of Sparta Prague academy, Adam Hlozek, 19, has grown leaps and bounds over the last couple of years and also earned recognition at international level. The teenage prodigy was also a part of the Czech Republic squad for Euro 2020. The striker is highly rated and his performances in his country, where he has registered four goals and seven assists in 14 league games this season, haven’t gone unnoticed.
According to Football Insider, West Ham are planning to beat Liverpool to the signing of Adam Hlozek in the upcoming January transfer window. The Hammers are intensifying their pursuit of the Czech Republic international due to interest from other Premier League and elite European clubs, the report adds.
Hlozek has registered 32 goals and 29 assists in 106 games for Sparta Prague to date, which is an exceptional record for someone so young. Despite missing a big chunk of action last season with a broken foot, the teenager still managed 15 goals and supplied nine assists on top of that in 23 outings.
Adam Hlozek to West Ham—Should the Hammers make a move?
West Ham have been fantastic so far this season and currently lie fourth in the table, ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United. After finishing sixth last season and consequently clinching the Europa League qualification, David Moyes and co. are aiming to break into the top four.
However, to realistically think of getting into the top four this term, Moyes must look to address a couple of areas in his squad. One of those is the striker department with Michail Antonio the only recognised no.9 in the squad. Considering Antonio’s age and past injury record, the Hammers boss cannot take a gamble of pinning all his hopes on him and must instead go for a striker during the mid-season trading period.
That makes West Ham’s interest in Adam Hlozek so much sense. Hlozek is a burgeoning talent who has proven himself in his country and his arrival at the London Stadium would certainly go a long way towards adding some valuable depth to Moyes’ attacking ranks whilst also increasing competition for places in the playing XI.
The 19-year-old’s goal-scoring exploits and all-round abilities in the domestic league has earned himself international recognition with the Czech Republic and West Ham have every reason to look at him as an excellent long-term investment moving forward. He would initially act as a back-up to Antonio with Moyes unlikely to throw the youngster straight into the starting XI.
All in all, West Ham’s links with Hlozek certainly strike the right chords and this is a move that could well pay off handsomely for Moyes in the years to come.