In spite of the fact that West Ham, in pursuit of a Champions League place and an FA Cup semi final, still have a great deal to play for this season, thoughts have turned, if only fleetingly, to the future. The Olympic Stadium has been approved for expansion, and the squad is being consolidated with an eye on the horizon. Adrian, Winston Reid, Cheikhou Kouyate, Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini have all signed contracts, this season or last, that keep them at the club until, at least, 2019 (most of them, in fact, until 2021). An imposing spine, but one that is missing its tip; a striker, one that can be relied upon to score at a high level and, crucially, stay fit for the majority of a Premier League season, must also be added.
It is common knowledge that the club are currently scoping for exactly this kind of player, and have a reported budget of around £30 million to spend. In anticipation of the gargantuan television rights deal kicking in next season, funds are being freed up with relish, and various names have already been mooted. Of all of them, three seem especially promising; Michy Batshuayi, Alexandre Lacazette and Christian Benteke.
To Batshuayi first. The 22 year old Belgian has been a shining light in what’s become an acutely ho-hum season for Marseilles; he is the league’s third-leading scorer (13), third-leading assist provider (7), in spite of the fact his team has won only seven games all season. He shoots accurately, and all of his goals have been scored from inside the box, the sign of a predatory attacker with goal senses finely tuned. He stands over six feet tall, has a driving turn of pace, and – perhaps most crucially – played with Dimitri Payet at Marseilles last season. The presence of Payet at West Ham mustn’t be underestimated as a factor here; Payet’s form, superlative this season, has earned a France recall, after a period of absence that, at times, looked irredeemable. Payet was one of Europe’s most productive attackers in his last season at Marseilles, and Batshuayi had a front row seat. He may want to link up again, on a significantly increased salary, in London next season. Potential fees ranging from £20-30 million have been thrown around; either would be affordable for an upward-looking West Ham.
Lacazette, another striker scoring handsomely in France, is as tasty a prospect. 24 years old and shorter than Batyuashi, the Lyon frontman is a brawny, blustering collection of powerful shooting and elusive speed. Extremely direct, and blessed with cool composure in front of goal, Lacazette would do everything Diafra Sakho currently does – perhaps even better than the Senegalese – but under the essential cloak of durability; Lacazette has missed just nine league games in the last two seasons (Sakho has missed 30 – yes, thirty – over the same period). Lacazette has vast experience in youth international set-ups, and has made 10 senior appearances for France. He has scored as many league goals this term as Batshuayi, and would cost a comparable amount.
Finally, and perhaps the most interesting prospect of the players in question, we come to Christian Benteke. First, to properly assess the Belgian as a target, we have to scrape off the unflattering patina the forward has developed at Liverpool, a calcified crust that has seen his market value drop to below what the Reds paid for him in 2015. Wilted and droopy, Benteke has sloped pitifully, missing a litany clear chances for Liverpool, when, indeed, he’s been allowed to play. No, the cut of ‘third-choice striker’ does not suit Benteke’s jib, and the force of nature version of the man, all muscular running and inventive finishing, that Villa remember with tear-soaked fondness is now just a faint memory. But it needn’t stay that way; Benteke, a Brendan Rodgers purchase, it clearly unsuited to the style the Jurgen Klopp likes to play. The German has made it fairly obvious that the club will listen and listen carefully to any offers for the Belgian this off-season, and West Ham will think hard about making one.
If a move to the Olympic Stadium eventuates, it would indeed see Benteke assume a spot in the Hammers’ starting line up, and he would be a comfortable fit there. Slaven Bilic obviously likes to have a striker of considerable aerial ability at his disposal; his use of Andy Carroll indicates this. But Carroll’s limitations – namely mobility and dexterity – are not Benteke’s; the Belgian is nearly as quick as he is strong, and in his Villa days was a frightening threat on the break, all neat lay-offs and twirling runs, aggressive and rampant. With Payet and Lanzini constantly scanning for players to send through, and with Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell poised to jet forward down the flanks, Benteke could thrive in Bilic’s system. He’s missed 13 matches over the last two seasons, an acceptable amount, and so passes requirements in this regard.
Where the deal may fall through, however, is the fee; for a player of considerable Premier League experience – more, clearly, than the other strikers in question – and who has already secured a big domestic move, Liverpool may well look to recoup most of the £32.5 million they paid to Villa. He is the oldest of the lot, though not old, at 25, by any standards, and so West Ham may feel they can get better value elsewhere.
Three fine targets, glinting in the clear daylight, and all West Ham have to do is pick an accurate arrow from the quiver and loose it. All three selling clubs can be swayed by the right offer, and all three strikers have their pros and cons. As the Hammers try and establish a dominant position in the English game, this will be a crucial check on their to-do list.
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