West Ham United are looking to rival the interests of Crystal Palace over the signature of Fiorentina forward, Khouma Babacar. The Hammers were looking to offload Diafra Sakho to Palace in order make way for the highly rated Senegal international.
Babacar has registered 6 goals and 2 assists for the Violas this season and is valued at £15m in the current market. After making his debut for the Italian outfit at just 16 years and 10 months of age, Babacar has worked his way to the senior squad. His 6 feet 3 inches physical presence makes him one of the best aerial threats in the box along with an ability to hold up the play whenever required.
However, does West Ham United really need another striker in the side when they already have 6 at their disposal? David Moyes has previously expressed his concerns over the imbalance of the side and is prioritizing transfers for a midfielder rather than a forward at the moment. Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate have really struggled to find their groove from the middle of the park and the club needs a more dominating presence to play alongside Mark Noble and Manuel Lanzini.
However, now that Andy Carroll has been strongly linked with title contenders, Chelsea and Andre Ayew to his former side, Swansea City may be a backup option is not completely fallacious.
United’s season is facing a steep climb in recent weeks with the side thrashing Huddersfield Town to 4 goals on Saturday at John Smith’s Stadium. They have put their relegation worries far behind and are sitting on the 11 spot of the points table. Moyes’ appointment has been impactful and has brought around a heap of positives to the London Stadium.
If the January transfer window is utilised properly they can be well on their way to finishing the season in the top half of the table. Marko Arnautovic is in prolific form with Javier Chicharito Hernandez also picking up the slack from the bench. Andy Carroll’s career has seen a fresh boost of refinement as he hit the brace against West Bromwich Albion in the club’s opening game of the year.
The real question lies in whether the funds raised on his transfer along with a few others, should be reinvested in a striker with no Premier League experience. Babacar is no doubt a promising talent, but he still has not established himself as a key figure in the Fiorentina team.
