West Ham United are reportedly set to raid relegated Watford this summer, in order to try and secure a deal for highly-rated winger Ismaila Sarr.
What’s the word?
According to Sunday’s print edition of the Mirror (page 72), the Hammers are believed to be eyeing a £25m bid for the Senegalese star, with David Moyes keen to further bolster his attacking ranks ahead of next term.
Should West Ham sign Sarr?
The former Rennes man is seemingly set for a departure from Vicarage Road in the coming months, with the player’s agent, Thierno Seydi, having suggested earlier this year that an exit was likely, even if the Hornets were to stave off the drop.
Having since suffered a swift return to the Championship, that exit talk is only likely to have enhanced, with the London Stadium outfit seemingly hoping they can exploit that relegation to secure their man.
Could be frightening for West Ham
Although the eye-catching speedster may have failed to really make his mark last term – scoring just five league goals and registering a further two assists – all the indications are that he would add a sprinkling of magic to Moyes’ squad, with the unique ace a simply “electric” threat down either flank – in the words of one journalist.
Also dubbed “frightening” by former teammate Will Hughes, the £24.3m-rated gem would no doubt thrive were he to make the move to east London this summer, with his speed and directness likely to make him a real asset to the Hammers’ counter-attacking style.
His ability to play through the middle on occasion would also make him a useful weapon for Moyes – with Michail Antonio currently the only recognised centre-forward in the squad – with his speed and willingness to get in behind likely to pose a threat for any opposition defence.
That talent was obvious during the 2020/21 campaign in which he helped fire his current side out of the second tier at the first time of asking, bagging 13 goals and providing ten assists in 39 league games.
He had been signed from Ligue 1 in a club-record £40m deal in the summer of 2019, going on to make nine goal contributions in a promising debut season in the Premier League, with that form even reportedly catching the eye of Manchester United in 2020.
Labelled a “freak” by former teammate Ben Foster, the versatile forward is a real rare gem who can cause havoc for any side he comes up against, with it frightening to think just what kind of impact he could make were he to be plucked by GSB this summer.
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