According to a recent report by Tuttosport, West Ham United are quite serious about securing the services of Andrea Belotti from Torino during this winter transfer period. The same report has also claimed that the Hammers are yet to table an official offer for the Italian talent, but if they are willing to pay a fee in excess of €45m to the Serie A outfit, then negotiations could progress rapidly before next Thursday’s transfer deadline.
Manuel Pellegrini’s team have performed well in the Premier League over the past few months, but they have also been plagued with a lot of injuries. Marko Arnautovic has already missed a major chunk of this campaign due to injury and is currently being linked with a move away from the London Stadium this month with the Hammers desperate to hang on to him until the end of this campaign.
So it could be a wise move for the East London side to move in for Belotti if they end up parting ways with the Austrian forward before the transfer deadline next week. The Italian prospect has put in some majestic displays in the Serie A this season and has also proven his worth in front of goal on a consistent basis.
He has featured in 22 matches for Torino this term, finding the back of the net nine times while also earning two assists across all competitions.
Belotti is pretty quick up top and also can dribble with the ball out of tight spaces inside the opposition penalty box. However, his most prominent trait is his knack for scoring goals in the attacking end of the pitch. He can find the back of the net with both feet or with his head which makes him a perfect all-round centre-forward.
The potential acquisition of Belotti will undoubtedly improve Pellegrini’s squad at the London Stadium. The Hammers currently have a lot of talented strikers in their squad such as Arnautovic, Andy Carroll, Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez who are all battling for a starting berth in the West Ham first-team.
Hence, recruiting Belotti would not only be an upgrade over any of them but will also increase more competition for places within Pellegrini’s team. So the East London giants should do everything in their power to sign the Italian sensation especially if Arnautovic ends up leaving the club in January.
