West Ham opinion: Should the Hammers sign Ibrahim Sangaré?

Declan Rice’s rise has been absolutely phenomenal and while he was always a talented player for West Ham, few expected the 21-year-old to do this well. That has helped Hammers make up for the fact that their midfield has been wrecked by injuries.

The likes of Carlos Sanchez, Jack Wilshere, and Pedro Obiang have all had lengthy spells on the physio’s table this season. Wilshere’s injury has been so bad that the former Arsenal star has made only five appearances this season, which includes four consecutive games at the start of the season.

Carlos Sanchez too has suffered a similar fate, making five appearances before being ruled out for most of the season. That has played a part in West Ham’s suffering, but the club has still managed to recover.

The Hammers sit in 9^th position and are just two points behind 7th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers as the race for that last Europa League spot heats up.

This does give the club a tough ride into the final weeks of the season, and with the summer window coming up, Manuel Pellegrini has to find out what areas he needs to reinforce.

Looking at their squad will reveal that the Hammers need a new right-back, a back-up striker, and another winger. More importantly, they need another midfielder and one man they must target is Ibrahim Sangaré.

The FC Toulouse star has been one of their standout performers this season, missing only nine games due to injuries. Barring that, the 21-year-old has played in every game, and has grown leaps and bounds since he first arrived.

Eerily similar to Manchester City legend Yaya Toure, Sangaré is a box-to-box midfielder who combines athleticism with incredible defensive work. Physically, he is everything a club wants in a modern day midfielder.

He’s 6’3”, very good on the ball and is quick enough to manoeuvre between the lines. Furthermore, his technical ability is rather impressive and Sangaré is also more than adept at playing a deeper role.

In his debut season, he averaged the most tackles per 90 minutes, a feat achieved by the likes of Idrissa Gueye and N’Golo Kante. But unlike the Chelsea star, Sangaré loves having the ball at his feet and like West Ham star Jack Wilshere, his creativity is always on show.

Not only does the Toulouse star have the ability to pick a pass but his vision in the final third is exceptional. That’s something the Hammers need.

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Conclusion

Players as talented as Ibrahim Sangaré do not come every day and the 21-year-old is more than ready for a move to a bigger and better league. Furthermore, he would be the perfect man to partner Declan Rice in the midfield and ease the transition from Mark Noble as he begins to age.