According to Metro, West Ham United have reportedly rejected a loan offer from Chelsea for their Jamaican striker Michail Antonio. It is understood that the West London club have already made four permanent signings this month including Mykhaylo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile but their chaotic recruitment has come to an end as they made a shock loan move for Antonio despite bringing in Joao Felix; although the Hammers have taken a firm stand and remain reluctant on letting their forward exit London Stadium.
Antonio’s Unimpressive Numbers For West Ham United
Antonio has struggled to give a good account of himself for the Hammers this season. He has just found the back of the net on four occasions and produced an assist in twenty-two appearances for his current employers during this campaign across multiple competitions.
The Jamaican talent needs to find a way to influence the game a bit more on the attacking end of the field as he is averaging 1.1 shots, 0.5 dribbles and 0.4 key passes per game in the Premier League. He has struggled to be accurate with his link-up play in the opponent’s half after only completing 55.3% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Antonio has failed to be prolific in front of the opponent’s goal, so a switch to Chelsea could have been an appealing move for the player this month but the lack of attacking options at London Stadium sought David Moyes to reject the bid.
Good Call From Moyes?
Antonio remains a decent finisher in front of the opponent’s goal. He does well to create space for himself in the final third but lacks the productivity to convert opportunities into definite goals. He also needs to find a way to improve his ball distribution to link up better with his teammates who are on the front foot.
He has mostly been an impact substitute in recent weeks and at the age of 32, there have been doubts regarding what he can offer to the attacking department at the East London club. However, David Moyes only has a few options in attack and an injury situation could further worsen their chances of saving themselves from relegation. So the Scottish tactician has done well to reject the loan move and keep him at London Stadium to provide cover from the bench.
