Two Alternatives For Kelechi Iheanacho Who West Ham United Can Target
Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho is a man in demand in the Premier League. The 20-year old striker might be allowed to leave in the summer, after having dropped down the pecking order following the January arrival of Gabriel Jesus.
Iheanacho managed 7 goals and 3 assists from 29 games across all competitions. However, he featured for just 139 minutes since the turn of the year for the Sky Blues with manager Pep Guardiola preferring to use Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus as his favoured strike force. With another striker expected to come in at the Etihad in the summer, it is unlikely that Iheanacho’s situation will improve, prompting him to consider an exit.
There has been strong interest in the Nigerian international from West Ham United, but with Leicester City and Crystal Palace moving ahead of the Hammers in the race for the transfer, it is unlikely that the 20-year old will move to the London Stadium in the summer. With a striker a top priority for Hammers boss Slaven Bilic ahead of next season, here are two alternatives for Iheanacho who they can look to sign.
Michy Batshuayi
The 23-year old has been on West Ham’s radar for a long time now and with Iheanacho likely to slip out of their hands, they need to firm up their pursuit of Batshuayi.
The Belgian international moved to Chelsea in a big money transfer last season but found it hard to break into the first team owing to the brilliance of Diego Costa and a lack of trust from manager Antonio Conte. Despite getting a limited number of opportunities, Batshuayi showcased his talents, impressing each time he took the field. In the end, he finished with a decent tally of 11 goals and 3 assists from 29 appearances across all competitions.
He is young and promising, has the pace and the power, and can finish with both; his feet and his head. With Chelsea set to bring in another forward, his situation is unlikely to improve and Hammers should look to capitalise on that.
Mariano Diaz
The 23-year Real Madrid starlet is believed to be looking for a new club in the summer, after having grown frustrated with the lack of minutes in the first team under manager Zinedine Zidane.
Having broken into the first team last year, Mariano made an immediate impression for the Galacticos, but with the likes of Karim Benzema and Alvaro Morata ahead of him in the pecking order, it was never easy for him to find regular playing time. As a result, he just featured 14 times across all competitions, scoring 5 times and setting up 2 more. But, his excellent goal-scoring record for the Madrid reserve and youth sides in the past has displayed that he can be a source of goals on a consistent basis.
When clubs like Tottenham Hotspur take an interest, it does show that there is something special about the player and West Ham should look to lure him with the promise of regular first team football.