According to the latest reports from Daily Star, West Ham United are willing to pay £15m for Olympiacos’ midfielder Kostas Fortounis. The Hammers are said to be in the market to sign a midfielder in the summer, and Fortounis has emerged as one of the plausible targets. However, the reports also mention that Newcastle United’s Isaac Hayden is still the preferred choice for Pellegrini.
Signing atleast one midfielder is said to be a priority for the club and they have been linked with quite a few names in the last few months. Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez were signed last summer, but they turned out to be injury prone and missed a significant part of the campaign. Pellegrini had to deploy Declan Rice in midfield who started as a centre back, but he slotted in well in defensive midfield along with Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble.
Noble is already in his thirties, and it is understandable why West Ham wants to bolster their engine room. Fortounis however, is not the typical central midfielder as he is more attack-minded and operates as a no. 10 usually. Wilshere was expected to play that role for the Hammers when he was signed, but as mentioned, he missed most of the season.
Fortounis had an impressive campaign for the Greek heavyweights as he contributed with 17 goals and 16 assists in 43 appearances. The Greece international even managed to score 3 and provided with three assists in the Europa League.
Why the Hammers need a playmaker?
West Ham typically needs a midfielder who will provide with legs and a lot of running in the middle of the park. Fortounis seems to be more productive on the attacking side. Nevertheless, we still feel that he will be a decent addition for the Hammers given his ability to impact play in the final third.
Pellegrini currently depends heavily on his wide players to build goal scoring chances and Felipe Anderson, Robert Snodgrass and Andriy Yarmolenko played a crucial part last season. Manuel Lanzini who usually plays as a no. 10 was out due to injury. Therefore it is understandable why the Hammers are looking to sign someone like Fortounis.
Worth signing?
Blessed with good pace and dribbling skills, Fortounis is a lively player in the attacking third. His ability to pick out that killer ball and finish in front of goal makes him a stand out option. The 26-year-old also seems to have that physical side to his game, which is necessary to thrive in the Premier League. He might take some time to settle in England, but given his abilities, he is worth signing for £15m.
