Julen Lopetegui and his West Ham United side are gearing up ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign. Having finished ninth last season, the Hammers are looking to return to the European qualification spots.
Reinforcements so far include Wolves central defender Max Kilman, who has already played under Lopetegui, and highly-rated Brazilian winger, Luis Guilherme.
But West Ham continue to be linked with more transfer activity, including countless striker rumours, one of which is Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug, who scored 16 goals in 46 appearances last season.
West Ham transfer news
According to a report from Sky Sports, West Ham are interested in Villarreal striker, Alexander Sorloth. This comes in a report that states West Ham are advancing for Dortmund striker Fullkrug, but Sorloth has been mentioned as another forward of interest for the Hammers.
This comes after West Ham were unable to find an agreement with Aston Villa for talented forward Jhon Duran, with their previous proposal being rejected. Interest remains in Duran, but there is currently a big gap in valuation.
Sorloth made 41 appearances in all competitions for Villarreal last season, scoring 26 goals, providing six assists, and totalling 2,954 minutes of football.
Sorloth vs Duran comparison
Duran made 37 appearances for Aston Villa in all competitions last season, scoring eight goals in 1,103 minutes. However, Duran of course was playing second fiddle to Ollie Watkins, therefore his chances mostly came in the UEFA Conference League.
Sorloth scored more goals than Fullkrug and Duran combined last season, and also beat the record of West Ham’s top scorer last campaign, Jarrod Bowen, who scored 20 goals in 44 appearances – the Englishman scoring six fewer goals than Sorloth.
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Sorloth vs Duran vs Fullkrug comparison |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Sorloth |
Duran |
Fullkrug |
|
Non-Penalty Goals |
0.82 |
0.95 |
0.42 |
|
Shots Total |
2.87 |
3.79 |
2.36 |
|
Assists |
0.19 |
0.00 |
0.26 |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
2.46 |
2.27 |
2.52 |
|
Progressive Carries |
1.73 |
1.71 |
0.76 |
|
Touches (Att Pen) |
5.58 |
5.12 |
4.46 |
|
Aerials Won |
2.84 |
3.79 |
3.49 |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
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The “stellar” Villarreal striker, as dubbed by Zach Lowy, comes out on top for progressive carries per 90, and touches in the penalty area per 90. However, Duran’s metrics are slightly misconstrued, due to his limited minutes for Villa.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Duran takes a high volume of shots in the minutes he plays and has converted at a good rate, actually having a 0.25 Goals/Shot metric, which ranks in the top 7% of strikers in the top five leagues in Europe.
However, Sorloth provides a ready-made product, compared to the potential ability of Duran, as Sorloth performed to these metrics over his 2,954 minutes last season. Despite not winning as many aerials per 90 as Duran or Fullkrug, Sorloth standing at 6 foot 4 still wins 2.84 aerials per 90, and is a major box threat.
If West Ham want a ready-made goalscorer, Sorloth could be their man, having 26 goals last season, and having scored 16 the season prior. The 28-year-old would also come with a point to prove, after his failed spell at Crystal Palace, only scoring one goal for the Eagles back in 2018/19.
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