West Ham United have reportedly tabled a £17.5m bid for Borussia Dortmund winger, Andriy Yarmolenko. Reports also suggest that the deal is close to being concluded with the player due for a medical examination and to receive his work permit at East London.
The Hammers are potentially getting Yarmolenko for a steal in the present market, especially since his move to the Westfalstadion was finalised last summer for £23m. He had switched from Dynamo Kiev to serve as an immediate replacement for Ousmane Dembele but unfortunately could not induce the same level of creative impact as the talented Frenchman.
Yarmolenko is a product of the prestigious Dynamo Kiev youth academy, having joined the side when he was just 13. He made close to 350 appearances for the club’s senior squad during which he registered 99 goals and 65 assists.
Now, Manuel Pellegrini could add the 77-cap Ukrainian international into his prolific attacking lineup which is also awaiting the arrival of Felipe Anderson from Lazio. United are in need of more talented options on the wing and midfield positions.
Without a bit of pace on the offensive end, it is unlikely that the Chilean boss will be able to affect much change to United’s previous season’s 13th place finish. Pellegrini implements a high possession attacking style of play on the pitch, as evident from his time with Malaga and Manchester City.
He will require able figures like Yarmolenko to not only stretch the floor but also threaten the opposition goal directly. The Ukrainian had made 36 appearances for Dortmund last season and delivered with 10 goals and 9 assists. An injury to the foot kept him out of action late into the 2017/18 campaign.
The 6 feet 3-inch figure has bags of skill to go along with that quality left foot of his. He enjoys taking on players on the dribble and can appear from any position in the final third. Yarmolenko could almost formulate a formidable partnership with Marko Arnautovic on the offensive end of the pitch, switching between their positions in a free-flowing role.
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He was in the starting XI in just 13 of the 22 Bundesliga games for Dortmund last season but could be handed over a more important role at London Stadium. West Ham are looking to take the Premier League by surprise in the coming season and are making all the necessary changes to do so.
