The Hammers are flying high in the league under David Moyes’ tutelage but, at the same time, exploring the transfer market to improve further and bolster their European dreams for the upcoming campaign. A few names have popped up in recent weeks and according to Record, West Ham United want Marcus Edwards back in the homeland who has made significant strides in Portugal over the past 12 months.
The once highly-rated Tottenham Hotspur sensation made only one League Cup appearance for the Lilywhites’ senior side before being loaned out to Championship outfit Norwich City. The move did not work out for the youngster as he was then shipped to Dutch outfit Excelsior back in the summer of 2018. Edwards had a few impressive outings in the Netherlands but failed to retain his side’s Eredivisie status despite finding the net in the relegation play-offs.
How He has Resurrected His Career Away From The Limelight
The attacker, however, did enough to earn a permanent switch to Portugal last year with Vitoria Guimaraes. There he enjoyed a productive 2019-20 campaign with 9 goals and assists each in 36 outings altogether including one against Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal in their 3-2 Europa League group stage defeat.
Although the 22-year-old is yet to hit the peak this season, his versatility high up the pitch has drawn the attention of an array of English sides. The Irons are expecting competition from Southampton and Crystal Palace, but a €15m release clause needs to be triggered in order to secure his services. Tottenham inserted a 50% sell-on clause while striking the deal and the sizeable figure, thus, makes sense from Vitoria Guimaraes’ perspective.
West Ham want Marcus Edwards in spite of having a plethora of attacking options in their ranks. They tied down Saïd Benrahma from Brentford before the domestic deadline, who, along with Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, Manuel Lanzini, Michail Antonio, Robert Snodgrass and Andriy Yarmolenko, has formed a formidable frontline.
Why West Ham Should Gamble On Edwards
Having said the above, only Bowen and Fornals have made an impact so far with Antonio being utilized as a ‘number 9’ ahead of Sebastien Haller. Benrahma, effective against Leeds as a midfield attacker, should shine once settled in, but the rest have only been deployed sporadically being handed a fringe status in East London.
The signing of Edwards would inject more firepower thanks to his pace, swift movements and dribbling attributes. He keeps on changing flanks and works relentlessly to combine with his teammates in and around the box. It might take a while to attune to the demands of English football, but the London-born prodigy holds all the traits to make it big if given the opportunity to finish the unfinished business from a couple of years back.
