In a recent tweet, Bild journalist Christian Falk stated that West Ham United are locked in a three-way battle for Union Berlin forward Taiwo Awoniyi. It is understood that the Hammers could face competition in the form of Newcastle United and Southampton in pursuit of the Nigerian marksman this summer.
TRUE✅ @WestHam @NUFC and @SouthamptonFC are interested in Taiwo Awoniyi @fcunion The striker has a release clause of 20 Mio € pic.twitter.com/Mo8Fdulk01
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) April 20, 2022
Awoniyi’s Impressive Run Of Form At The Stadion An der Alten Försterei
Awoniyi has put in a series of influential displays as the focal point of Union Berlin’s attack. The 24-year-old has registered 18 goals and four assists in 39 matches for the German outfit this season in all competitions.
The former Liverpool centre-forward has proven himself to be a valuable contributor in the final third by averaging 2.1 shots, 0.8 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in Bundesliga. However, he has been sloppy when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half after making 66.7% of his attempted passes in the German top-flight (stats via whoscored).
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Is Awoniyi The Right Fit For West Ham United?
Awoniyi is a decent dribbler with the ball at his feet and has performed well to score goals consistently in German football this season. He can even set up a few decent chances for others around him and deserves credit for chipping in with a few assists over the past ten months.
However, the three-time Nigeria international has got find a way to improve his link-up play if he wants to become a world-class forward someday.
At 24, Awoniyi has got a bright future ahead of him and will only get better with each year. Therefore, West Ham United would have to move quickly if they want to win the race for the Union Berlin star’s services in this off-season.
We can expect the Nigerian talent to add a lot of goals to David Moyes‘ frontline. Furthermore, he could offer some healthy competition for Michail Antonio who remains West Ham’s only recognized first-choice forward. Thus, Awoniyi will be a good fit for the Hammers to consider this summer. Furthermore, he could help the East London giants challenge for a top-four place in Premier League football next season.
