West Ham United have announced on their official website the signing of Alex Kral on loan from Spartak Moscow. It is understood that the Czech Republic international has joined the Hammers on a season-long loan deal with a view of making the switch permanent at the end of this campaign.
Kral’s Decent Run Of Form In Russian Football
Kral had a solid season in Russia recently as he managed to establish himself as a valuable presence in Spartak Moscow’s midfield. The 23-year-old appeared in 30 matches for the Moscow club in the previous campaign, picking up five assists and three yellow cards in the process across multiple competitions.
The Czech Republic talent delivered in a lot of meaningful ways with his performances at the centre of the park after he averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 0.8 clearances, 0.7 shots, 1.0 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per 90 minutes in the 2020-21 Russian Premier League season. He even took care of the ball well when distributing possession going forward, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 81% in league football (stats via whoscored).
At 23, Kral will only get better with each season, so the Hammers have done well to snap him up on an initial loan deal. However, the London outfit also have the option to make his move permanent next summer if he goes on to prove his worth at the London Stadium this season.
Is Kral A Good Fit For The Hammers?
Kral has got the eye to make some promising chances for his teammates in the opposition half and can also pull off a few energetic runs with the ball from midfield. He loves a tackle and can sense the danger quickly to make some important interceptions at the back.
Still, the Czech Republic midfielder is far from a finished product as he needs to add a few goals to his game if he wants to be a regular starter for West Ham over the next ten months. Furthermore, there are some concerns over whether he can cope with the physical nature and high intensity of Premier League football.
Even then, the pros outweigh the cons of recruiting Kral on loan as he is already good enough to rival Declan Rice, Tomos Soucek and Mark Noble for a regular starting spot at the East London club this season.
The fact that the Hammers have got the talented midfield ace on loan would bode well for them in the future as they can always choose not to sign him permanently if things do not work out for him in English football. With all things considered, Kral will be a decent fit for the Premier League side as long as Moyes is offer him a regular run of games at the English capital.
