West Ham have desperately needed to address the striker issue for a number of seasons now and it is vital that the club get it right in this window.
From Zaza to Calleri, the club have taken too many gambles that have failed to deliver. A host of names have been linked to the Hammers but there is one option that really ticks all the boxes and it is imperative that the club really show their intent with the pursuit of this forward.
The man in question is former Manchester United hitman Javier Hernandez, or Chicharito as he is often called.
After a Solksjaer-esque role at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, Hernandez seized the chance to seal a loan move to Real Madrid. Despite his impressive rate of a goal every 126 La Liga minutes, he was used sparingly in an incredibly talented squad.
His move to current club Bayer Leverkusen proved to be more successful, with the Mexican contributing an overall return of just over a goal every two Bundesliga games for the German side.
But why should West Ham move for him?
Prime of his career
The striker recently turned 29-years-old and there is the capacity for the forward to play at the very top for a number of years.
West Ham need a striker of Hernandez’s mould
The team really lacks a natural goalscorer who has the potential to poach important goals for the team and Hernandez certainly offers this attacking threat.
The Mexican produced a masterpiece of forward play against FC Mainz last season, scoring a hat-trick with strikes using his left and right foot and finishing off with a 91st minute headed winner as Leverkusen came from behind twice. This sort of ruthless quality in front of goal is what West Ham need.
Excellent movement
Hernandez’s game is built around his appetite for goals and his darting runs are reflective of his hunger for finding the back of the net. Jonathan Calleri was a willing runner for the Hammers towards the tail end of the season but he still lacked that natural instinct to split the defence with the right movement.
If Hernandez gets the right service, he will score goals due to his distinctive attacking runs. He is also deceivingly good in the air and his movement in the box creates space for him to score goals with his head. This unremitting aspect of his play is a nightmare for defenders and it will add an extra dimension to West Ham’s attacking play.
Great value for money for an experienced Premier League goalscorer
There are reports that Hernandez is available this summer for as little as £13 million. If this is the case, the Hammers could be getting a real bargain of a striker that won’t represent much of a gamble due to his track record in England and across Europe.
He has done it for Manchester United and he ticks the right boxes for the Hammers. Rather than throwing over £20 million at a player like Anthony Modeste who is unproven in the Premier League, the younger Hernandez represents the more logical and beneficial option for Slaven Bilic.
This all sounds too good to be true…
West Ham will certainly face competition for the Mexican’s signature but the Hammers can guarantee Hernandez regular first team Premier League football, something that is imperative in a World Cup season.
Tottenham are reportedly rivalling West Ham for the Mexican but would the striker realistically want to play second fiddle to Harry Kane next season?
Didn’t he have a goal drought this season?
This campaign was by no means Chicharito’s most prolific. He did endure barren spells that reflected Leverkusen’s poor domestic campaign where they finished 12th in the league table.
Despite this, Hernandez still finished the season strongly and was Leverkusen’s top scorer. He has also performed well in the Confederations Cup this summer so his knack of scoring goals is still very apparent.
West Ham must act now
If the club want their man, they must move quickly as there is bound to be a host of suitors lining up for Mexico’s all-time top goalscorer.
A chance to return to England could appeal to the striker as his previous spell in English football was certainly successful and West Ham can offer a solid platform for the forward to express himself in a World Cup year.
This window is sure to be a waiting game for West Ham but at the moment, there is nobody more suited to the Hammers than Javier Hernandez.
