Why West Ham should make a move for Etienne Capoue in January

After a slow start to the new Premier League campaign, West Ham have won three games on a bounce, including a 2-0 Carabao Cup success over Newport County.

The Hammers spent big bucks on Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals in the summer and the investments are already starting to pay off.

While Fornals, one of the exciting signings made by West Ham in the summer transfer window has had a slow start to life at the London Stadium, Haller has made a stellar impact having netted three in three.

Manuel Pellegrini’s attack looks scary, capable of tormenting any defences on their day. On the other hand, they have looked defensively sloppy and woefully short in midfield.

Although the Chilean tactician did sign defender Goncalo Cardoso from Benfica, his decision to not strengthen his already depleted midfield continues to baffle the fans.

Mark Noble is ageing and the likes of Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez cannot be relied upon because of their previous injury problems. That leaves Declan Rice as the only central midfielder in the squad, with Pellegrini having sold Pedro Obiang to Sassuolo during the summer transfer window.

Thus, Pellegrini must prioritise signing a central midfielder when the transfer window re-opens in January.

Back in December 2017, a report from the Daily Mail had claimed that West Ham were interested in signing Watford’s Etienne Capoue. While a move didn’t go through then, the January transfer window would be the perfect time for the Hammers to reignite their interest and sign the midfielder.

Etienne Capoue, 31, has been a key player for Watford ever since signing from Tottenham in 2015. Last season, the Frenchman was fantastic for the side, bagging a goal and three assists as the Hornets reached the FA Cup finals.

A defensive midfielder by trade, the 31-year-old can link up play well and score some crucial goals as well by making late runs into the box. His technical attributes will make him fit in almost any kind of role in midfield. 

The Frenchman is a tenacious tackler and a ball winner, adept at breaking opposition’s play by making crucial interceptions.

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His bags of Premier League experience will also come in handy, and the ex-Tottenham can turn out to be a shrewd signing given his overall skill-set.

Verdict

Capoue has proven himself a very decent player in the Premier League and might just be an ideal candidate to play besides Rice for West Ham. Hence, the Hammers must make a move for the defensive midfielder in the New Year.