West Ham United have reportedly joined a host of Premier League outfits for the services of Salomon Rondon. The West Brom forward is one of the first names to quit the Hawthorns following the club’s relegation from the top-flight.
United remain keen on signing some high profile names ahead of the 2018/19 campaign and have just confirmed the signing of former Manchester City boss, Manuel Pellegrini. Their past season woes need to be answered with squad improvements and Rondon will certainly be the one to fill their gaps.
The 28-year-old is at the stage of his career where his athletic abilities have not escaped him as he remains a constant goal threat. He was one of Albion’s best players last term, scoring 10 and assisting a further 3 in his 40 total appearances.
It was almost inevitable that suitors would be lining up for his signature since the Baggies have been prime candidates for getting relegated to the Championship for almost the entirety of the 2017/18 season.
The Baggies as a team have failed to tap into the striker’s abilities with a lack of creative options to supply him. The Venezuelan international packs a lot of grit and physicality into his game and is one of the more eye-catching number nines in the league.
West Brom might take a major blow from Rondon’s departure but it would not be the end of the world. Their prime objective should be to wind up the clock and start again.
We have seen Newcastle United make the return to the Premier League after winning the Championship the season before last. Losing Rondon will open up a whole lot of opportunities in terms of financial leverage and youth development.
A drop to the lower division will bring a bout of financial insecurity which will be hard to handle with every player on the payroll. Offloading the striker will help them pursue high profile names from the second division, given the financial leverage they will receive.
However, how much of Rondon do West Ham really need and are they willing to cross the £16m threshold for the centre-forward? The Hammers already have the likes of Andy Carroll, Javier Chicharito Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio in the squad. They also just recently signed Jordan Hugill from Preston North End, last January.
Antonio can fill in from deeper and wing roles and so can Arnautovic. Carroll has struggled with his fitness and Hernandez has failed to meet expectations.
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It would not be a shock if atleast one of the latter duo gets offloaded to make way for Jose Salomon Rondon. He could be a significant upgrade and a cemented starter.
