The departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal in 2023 not only robbed West Ham United of their captain, it also ripped the main source of athleticism and aggression away from the Premier League outfit’s now one-paced midfield.
Take, for instance, Declan Rice’s swashbuckling solo goal against KAA Gent during the Europa Conference League quarter-finals in 2023.
In conjunction with Lucas Paqueta, the then-West Ham United skipper swiped the ball back from a stumbling Gent player near the halfway line and then set about charging towards the penalty area like a pedigree stallion in the final stretch of the Grand National.
It is hard to imagine any player in Graham Potter’s current West Ham midfield capable of doing anything remotely similar.
Now, this is not to say Raphael Onyedika is a like-for-like Rice replacement. But, as West Ham edge closer to signing the Club Brugge powerhouse, the London Stadium may once again be home to an all-action, blood-and-thunder midfielder with a skillset wider than the Thames and the sort of technical ability that will take casual observers by surprise.
Club Brugge give Raphael Onyedika a transfer ‘promise’ as West Ham United close in
West Ham are allegedly ahead of AC Milan in pursuit of the £17 million-rated Nigeria international.
A source from the CAA Stellar agency told Africa Foot last week that personal terms will not be an issue. Onyedika is keen to play in the Premier League. Seven-time European champions Milan may struggle to stump up the money required.
Reporter Ryan Taylor, writing in the Sunday Mirror (June 1, page 67), claims that talks between West Ham and Onyedika are progressing nicely.
Further updates have now arrived via Belgium, too. Het Laaste Nieuws report that the former FC Midtjylland ace has been ‘promised’ he will be allowed to leave Club Brugge this summer. A departure, they add, is ‘almost certain’ at this stage.
Club Brugge are expected to sign Ludovit Reis, the Hamburg midfielder and one-time Barcelona prodigy, as Onyedika’s successor.
“West Ham made contact with Club Bruges on Tuesday [last week] and are ready to begin talks,” said that CAA Stellar agency representative. “[Club Brugge] are willing to sell for the right price. AC Milan were the first to approach, but are unlikely to match the 24 million euro valuation.
“Personal terms with Raphael should not be an issue, as the player is keen to play in the Premier League.”
Onyedika brings ‘strength’ and a ‘very good first touch’ to the Hammers
West Ham’s current midfield options – particularly Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse – are badly lacking the sort of urgency and assertiveness Raphael Onyedika promises to bring with him across the Channel.
Onyedika likens himself to Paul Pogba, the most mercurial of playmakers, but there is also a Rice-like belligerence to his game. Plus, a skillset far broader than anyone currently in Graham Potter’s dressing room.
“Onyedika has a very good first touch on the ball which is pretty much clean and secure from multiple angles. He is [also] one of the most critical progressors for his side and is very crucial for their transition from the first to the second phase, and the second to the third phase in possession,” scouting side Total Football Analysis explain.
“Onyedika has that security on the ball where he is very good at covering it and protecting it under pressure from the opponent. Due to his physicality, he has the ability to shield it with his strength. Due to this, it’s not easy for the opposition players to dispossess him.
“Overall, his ability on the ball in possession is very good and is one of the crucial aspects of Club Brugge’s tactics in possession. Since he is still young, he could probably iron out some of the inconsistencies he has in his game as he ages.”
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