In a recent report, Fichajes has claimed that West Ham United are still keeping a keen eye on Atletico Madrid winger Vitolo. It is believed that the Hammers have been offered a ‘golden opportunity’ to acquire the services of the Spanish wide player during the summer transfer period (via Fichajes).
Vitolo’s Growing Frustrations At The Spanish Capital This Season
The 31-year-old has endured a frustrating season at the Wanda Metropolitano this season as he has struggled to earn regular playing minutes under Diego Simeone’s stewardship. Vitolo has participated in just 12 matches for the Madrid outfit this term, picking up one assist and one yellow card across all fronts.
The Spanish attacker has failed to find consistency with his offensive contributions as most of his appearances have come off the bench which explains why he is averaging 0.6 tackles, 0.2 key passes and 0.2 dribbles per game in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League this season. The experienced wide player needs to improve his accuracy when distributing the ball after he completed 76.7% of his attempted passes in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
The lack of game time is not doing Vitolo’s career any good as father time is slowly catching up with his game. He needs to switch clubs this summer in search of more first-team opportunities in the coming seasons. If David Moyes is willing to give him a shot at earning regular game time, then West Ham could be an ideal destination for the player.
What Does The Spanish Winger Offer On The Pitch?
Vitolo is a moderately paced winger who is a decent dribbler with the ball when he is playing well on the field. He has a good work rate both on and off the ball and can use his powerful 1.85m frame to challenge the opposition in the air. However, the Spaniard is far from prolific in the final third, so he needs to add a few goals and assists to his game by playing regularly over the next few years.
Is Vitolo The Right Choice For The Hammers?
At the moment, Vitolo is not good enough to earn a regular starting spot at the London Stadium. However, if Moyes is looking for a decent back-up to Antonio, then the Atletico Madrid outcast could be a decent choice for him to consider in this offseason.
Vitolo is highly versatile as he is primarily a left-sided winger but can also function as a centre-forward or play down the right flank. Therefore, he will add a lot of depth to the Hammers squad that might help them challenge across all fronts next season. Plus, Vitolo’s top-flight experience could be valuable for some of the younger players in Moyes’ squad.
