In a recent interview with Football Insider, Noel Whelan has tipped West Ham United to fight for Bournemouth forward Joshua King when the transfer window reopens in January. Whelan said, “It’s a bonus to them but they’ve got to manage him (King) and make sure he doesn’t get injured before January.
“It’s a massive plus for Bournemouth but West Ham still very much need another striker like that so they’ll be watching and waiting in the wings, no doubt and hoping they get the first bite of the cherry to take him there.”
King’s Fall From Grace At Bournemouth Recently
The Norwegian international has only appeared in one match for the Cherries which has put even more doubt on his future at the Vitality Stadium. King endured a frustrating spell at the south coast of England last season when he was involved in 27 matches, netting six goals and grabbing four assists on all fronts.
Despite his lack of consistency in terms of goal-scoring, the Oslo-born marksman deserves some plaudits for his offensive contributions after he averaged 1.0 shots, 1.2 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per 90 minutes in the previous Premier League campaign. The 28-year-old needs to take care of the ball better when interchanging possession with his teammates in the attacking third as he made only 72.3% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
King needs to play at the highest level if he wants to establish himself as one of English football’s top strikers. However, for that to happen, the Norwegian sensation has to find a way to end his Bournemouth misery by opting to sign for a Premier League club in January which could put West Ham in a good position to land him this winter.
What Will The Norwegian Striker Bring To The London Stadium?
When King is playing well on the field, he can be a potent goal-threat up top as he tends to be clinical in front of goal when he is playing with confidence on the field. The Norwegian attacker has got blistering pace in his locker which he can use to get the better of his marker in the final third. He is also a decent penalty taker but has to work on improving his overall productivity in the decisive end of the pitch.
Is King The Right Fit For The Hammers In January?
At the moment, King will be a great fit for the East London outfit as he could potentially strike up a lethal attacking partnership with Michail Antonio up top. He will add a lot of pace and goals to David Moyes’ frontline and increase competition for places within his West Ham squad.
Thus, the Hammers head coach would be wise to engineer a move to bring the Cherries rebel back to the Premier League during the winter transfer period. At 28, King still has plenty of time left in his locker to prove his worth in the English top tier, so West Ham could be an attractive destination for him to consider in January.
