According to journalist Mark Douglas of ChronicleLive, West Ham United have contacted the agent of Salomon Rondon regarding a possible transfer to London Stadium this summer. The Venezuelan international’s transfer saga continues after a successful spell at Newcastle United.
Douglas revealed during his live Q&A session at ChronicleLive that West Ham and Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Rondon this summer, giving Newcastle fierce competition in the pursuit of the star forward.
Salomon Rondon’s success at Newcastle
After being relegated with West Bromwich Albion during the 2017/18 campaign, Rondon has proved his quality as a premium Premier League forward with a successful spell at Newcastle this past season.
Indeed, the Venezuelan international’s services in front of goal were critical to Newcastle’s mid-table finish in the league. He scored 11 goals and registered seven assists in 32 league matches, ending the campaign as the club’s most productive player.
Rondon was even more crucial given the fact that both Joselu and Yoshinori Muto struggled to provide any genuine threat in attack. His style of play also tuned in well with Rafa Benitez’s tactical philosophy at Newcastle, thus making him a beneficial signing for the Magpies.
What can Rondon bring to the table?
Rondon is primarily known for his aggression and physicality in attack that makes him an ideal fit in the Premier League. He is quite an intimidating figure in the final third and is very hard to be shrugged off the ball. That means the Venezuelan often excels at hold-up play, which allows him to open up additional spaces for his teammates.
Rondon has notably delivered one key pass per game this past season, which is quite impressive for any centre forward in the world. The ex-Zenit attacker is also quite threatening in the air, mainly due to his 1.86m figure. This makes him an indirect threat from set-pieces, with the striker already winning 143 headed duels during the 2018-19 campaign – fourth highest by any forward in the league.
Should West Ham make a move for Rondon?
Rondon would be an excellent acquisition for West Ham as he fits the criteria of Manuel Pellegrini’s attacking setup.
The Venezuelan international can provide the physical presence in attack, and his remarkable hold-up play will allow the likes of Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko more freedom in the final third. He is also quite productive, as his statistics usually suggest and the 29-year-old would be an ideal replacement for the injury-prone Andy Carroll.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
