Fulham have rejected a £20m bid from West Ham United for Tom Cairney, with the Hammers intent on bringing the midfielder to the London Stadium this summer. Cairney, who helped Fulham to return to the Premier League after scoring the winner in the Championship play-off final against Aston Villa, was on West Ham’s radar during the January transfer window as well.
The appointment of Manuel Pellegrini has sparked a change at West Ham and the club are looking eager to provide the Chilean with quality players to challenge for big things.
So, let’s discuss why Cairney could prove to be a very smart signing for West Ham this summer.
Not a big name but a big presence
The Premier League is known to attract the fanciest players from around the globe. In a league where burning cash on big names has become a norm, Cairney, who played a vital role in helping Fulham gain promotion to the top-tier, will certainly not come out as a flashy signing.
Yet, the seasoned midfielder could prove to a very effective signing by West Ham. The Fulham skipper scored six goals and set up five more in 37 Championship appearances last season.
The Scotland international is also capable of playing in various positions across the midfield. Cairney can play as a central midfielder, an advanced playmaker and even as an inverted winger on the right. Depending on the situations of a match, the 27-year-old can adjust positions and roles to help out his team.
Technique and attacking quality
Cairney is a very technical footballer, who can come up with that one moment of magic to turn the game on its head. While being an able dribbler, he also has the ability to carve open a defence with a through ball.
Last season, Cairney averaged almost 2.5 dribbles per match in the Championship, and opponents often had to resort to fouling him to put a stop to his attacking moves. Even in terms of passing, Cairney was very inventive as he made 2 key passes per game.
Cairney could really shine much brighter at West Ham, where he will have better quality players around him and a very experienced manager in Pellegrini to guide him. Hence, joining the Hammers would make sense for the Scot, who is approaching the peak of his game.
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