Why West Ham should try to win the race for Shon Weissman

According to Football London, West Ham have been credited with an interest in Israeli striker Shon Weissman, who currently plies his trade with Wolfsberger AC in the Austrian Bundesliga. 

The Hammes, though, are not alone in the race to sign the 23-year-old in-form sharpshooter, with the report claiming that Premier League rivals Chelsea, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen to acquire his services in January. 

Shon Weissman might not be a familiar name among the English fans but the Israeli hitman is currently making waves with his incredible run of form in the Austrian top-flight.

The 23-year-old only made his move to Wolfsberger AC this summer but he has already set the house on fire in Austria with an eye-watering tally of 17 goals in 13 games across all competitions. 

The 5ft. 9-inch striker rose through the youth ranks of his boyhood club Maccabi Haifa but he scored only 9 goals in 38 appearances over the course of five seasons for the Israeli giants, spending time on loan at Hapoel Acre, Maccabi Netanya and Irani Kiryat Shmona before making his move to Wolfsberger AC. 

Weissman bagged three goals in his first three league games for Wolfsberger this term scoring four in a single game to help his club complete a 5-0 demolition of SV Mattersburg in August.

As well as his heroics on the domestic front in Austria, the 23-year-old has also caught the eye in the Europa League, scoring in the 4-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach on Matchday 1. 

The former Macaiba Haifa man is currently following in the footsteps of his compatriot Munas Dabbur, who had fired Austrian giants RB Salzburg to the Europa League semi-finals in the 2017-18 season. 

Weissman’s rich vein of form hasn’t gone unnoticed and he was handed his senior professional bow for Israel during last month’s international break in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Slovenia. And now, his stellar start to life in Austria has put him on the radar of some of the top Premier League clubs ahead of the January window. 

To put things into perspective, West Ham, Leicester City and Spurs are all looking for a back-up striker in their ranks and Shon Weissman could be an ideal signing for any of the aforementioned English clubs but the Hammers should try and have the final say in this transfer saga. 

The East Londoners have had a topsy-turvy start to the ongoing campaign and, while club-record signing Sebastien Haller has shown strong signs of answering their prayers for a top-quality prolific centre-forward, Manuel Pellegrini still lacks effective back-up options up top after losing Andy Carroll, Lucas Perez, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez. 

West Ham brought in youngster Albian Ajeti as a part of their summer recruitment drive but the Swiss star is yet to convince that he is capable of cutting the mustard in the Premier League.

Of course, it would be unfair to write him off, given his age and potential, but bringing in another in-form striker like Weissman could be a smart move. 

As the season wears on, West Ham would need adequate depth in their ranks to cope with the hectic and demanding schedule of the Premier League, as well as the FA Cup, and Shon Weissman could offer that little bit more up top for Pellegrini. 

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Agreed, goals in Austria are hardly exchangeable for those in the Premier League but the 23-year-old is only going to get better with time and West Ham could have a star on their hands in the future if he goes on to fulfil his potential. 

With that in mind, the Hammers should not hesitate to beat off competition for the Israeli international’s services in January, provided the asking price isn’t too high to scupper their interest.