West Ham United named in new link to absolutely rapid African striker with sensational hold-up play as report makes Christian Kouame claim.
With West Ham desperately in need of a new striker this summer the transfer rumour mill has been in overdrive.
David Moyes has been trying to replace Sebastien Haller for 18 months – a search now entering a FOURTH transfer window.
To add to the intrigue – and pressure of getting it right – the next striker West Ham sign will be number 50 of the David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady era.
West Ham have been linked with a plethora of forwards from all corners of the globe.
Armando Broja, Mohamed Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis to name just three.
Now West Ham have been named in a new link to an absolutely rapid African striker with sensational hold-up play as a report from Italy makes Christian Kouame claim.
Kouame is a 24-year-old striker owned by Serie A side Fiorentina, who has been playing alongside former West Ham midfielder Josh Cullen while on loan at Anderlecht.
He enjoyed a productive season on loan with Jupiler Pro League outfit Anderlecht for whom he scored 13 goals and provided 10 assists in 36 appearances.
And now Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport claim West Ham have made contact with the Serie A side regarding a potential move for Kouame – as also reported on Hammers website KUMB.
KUMB states Kouame was close to joining West Ham’s London rivals Crystal Palace three years ago before suffering a serious injury.
West Ham fans scrambling for Kouame’s statistics may not be too impressed.
According to WhoScored, the Ivory Coast international has 27 goals and 19 assists in 147 appearances.
That’s a goal contribution every three games. Not the best, not the worst.
But the key here is potential it seems.
Because what Kouame does possess is power, genuine pace and sensational hold-up play.
With those assets Moyes could well turn Kouame into a feared striker as he has done with Michail Antonio and Marko Arnautovic before him.
Kouame’s hold-up play and strength is perfectly showcased in a YouTube highlights reel below.
It’s clear he needs to work on his finishing and has plenty of room for improvement.
But this link tallies with a recent claim from a West Ham insider that Moyes still sees Antonio as his number one striker and wants a young, hungry talent for a reasonable fee which represents value for money.