In a recent interview with Football Insider, Gabriel Agbonlahor has labelled Burnley forward Chris Wood as a good option for West Ham United this summer. The former Aston Villa forward said,
“Wood’s a very, very good player and wherever he goes, that team is going to get goals out of him.
“Maybe West Ham would be good. They’ve only got Antonio so they need to cover and maybe he could give them a different style of player. You don’t want the same type of striker on the bench.
“They’ve got the Europa League too, so West Ham probably need two more strikers. Wood would be a good option.
“I really like him, hardworking, physical, good in the air, he’s a great finisher as well.
“At 29, he’s going to want that move now. It’s now or never.
“Once you get into your thirties those moves become harder. If I was him I’d be pushing through that move this summer.”
Wood’s Solid Season At Turf Moor Recently
Wood continued to impress as the focal point of Sean Dyche’s attack last season as he put in a series of productive displays to help the Clarets steer clear of the relegation zone in the Premier League. The 29-year-old banged in 12 goals and secured four assists in 37 appearances for the Lancashire outfit in the previous campaign across all fronts.
The Auckland-born sensation proved his worth as a reliable goal-getter but failed to influence the game in too many other ways after he averaged 2.1 shots, 0.7 key passes and 0.2 dribbles per game in Premier League football. He needs to improve his accuracy when distributing the ball in the final third based on his pass completion rate of 65.% but deserves a pat on the back for winning 4.7 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored)
Should The Hammers Snap Wood Up This Summer?
Wood can use his robust 1.91m frame to overpower the opposition and win some crucial aerial duels for his side. He is a decent finisher in front of the opponent’s goal and can score his fair share of goals via well-timed headers.
The New Zealand international can be a big threat from dead-ball situations and has already proven his value as an ideal target man in the Premier League. However, he can sometimes give away the ball cheaply when things are not falling for him in the attacking end of the field. The ex-Leeds United talent is technically inferior to most other players around him and that can sometimes see him struggle in the opposition half.
Even then, West Ham should strongly consider snapping Wood up as Michail Antonio remains the only senior centre-forward option in Moyes’ match-day squad. The Burnley striker will undeniably reduce some of the goal-scoring workload for Antonio and could even form a productive attacking partnership with him at the London Stadium if the Hammers boss chose to play with two strikers up top.
