He’s Fullkrug 2.0: West Ham battling PL rivals for "complete" £9m machine
da dobrowin： The 2024/25 campaign was a turbulent one for West Ham United. A change of manager halfway through, moving from Julen Lopetegui to Graham Potter, made things tough, and the Hammers never really gained any momentum, struggling to move out of the bottom few teams in the Premier League.
da realbet： Yet, relegation was never really a concern, with the Irons finishing almost 20 points clear of 18th.
Looking ahead to the new season, Potter must surely want his side to become more consistent in front of goal. They only managed 46 last season, as per Understat, better than just five other teams in the top flight.
That might be why the East Londoners are targeting a new number nine in the transfer window.
West Ham search for a new striker
After a loan move for Evan Ferguson last season did not work out, the Hammers are still looking for a new centre forward to supplement the likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen in attack. Well, perhaps they have found someone who can add to the goals next season.
According to a report from Tasnim News Agency, the Hammers have ‘expressed interest’ in signing Inter and Iran striker Mehdi Taremi. The 33-year-old’s ‘departure from Inter is now certain’ in the aftermath of Simone Inzaghi leaving the club and the arrival of new summer signings.
This could give West Ham an opportunity to pounce. They are set to go head to head with Fulham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest for his signature, however, with Turkish side Besiktas also interested.
As for the price, it was reported earlier in the window that Inter would accept up to €10m (£9m) for the 33-year-old this summer.
Why Taremi would be a good signing
The 2024/25 season was tough for Taremi, who struggled for opportunity in the Inter side. Of course, last season’s Champions League runners-up have Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram in their squad, so getting a starting berth ahead of those two is far from easy.
The Iranian international played 43 games last season across all competitions. Although he only managed to find the back of the net three times, he did grab nine assists, four of which came in the Champions League. One of those was in the semi-final second-leg win over Barcelona.
The veteran striker arguably played the best football of his career at Portuguese giants FC Porto. He played 182 games for the club, amassing a sensational 91 goals and chipping in with 51 assists, too. He bagged this acrobatic volley against Chelsea back in 2021, a real standout effort in his large goal catalogue.
Comparisons can be drawn between Taremi and his potential new teammate, Fullkrug. The Germany international joined for £27m last summer from Borussia Dortmund, as an experienced striker, aged 31, when he moved to the London Stadium.
It certainly wasn’t the easiest first season in Claret and Blue for the striker, born in Hannover. He played 20 games for the club, scoring three goals and grabbing two assists. Two separate injuries certainly disrupted his progress during his debut campaign for West Ham.
The similarities between each striker do not stop at the fact that they are both experienced players in their early 30s. In fact, they are both stastically similar on FBref, after their respective Champions League campaigns in the 2022/23 season.
The numbers behind their goal-scoring form in that campaign are alike. The Inter star, then playing for Porto, averaged 0.33 goals and 0.22 goals per shot on target each game. In contrast, West Ham’s number 11, then a Dortmund player, averaged 0.26 goals and 0.27 goals per shot on target per 90 minutes.
Taremi and Fullkrug key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Taremi
Fullkrug
Goals
0.33
0.26
Shots on target
1.49
0.96
Goals per shot on target
0.22
0.27
Expected goals
0.43xG
0.47xG
Goal-creating actions
0.87
0.69
Stats from FBref
At upwards of £9m, this move could be a bargain for West Ham this summer. There are certainly shades of the deal to sign Fullkrug last summer, given their age and similar threat in front of goal.
Taremi is a “complete striker” according to Statman Dave and capable of scoring 20 goals a season, as he showed at Porto. This could be one of the bargains of the summer.
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