According to Football Espana, who have cited local media outlet Radio Vigo as their source, West Ham United are in talks to land the Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez. The player currently plies his trade for the La Liga club Celta Vigo and has reportedly been on the radar of the east London club for some time now.
The Hammers have been in complete doldrums this season in terms of injuries, which has restricted more than six first-team players from taking the field including the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko, Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini, Ryan Fredericks, Carlos Sanchez and most recently, Fabian Balbuena.
However, Manuel Pellegrini is marshalling his side very tactfully to get the best out of the players who are fit and is depending on individual brilliance from a few players in the team.
One such player, who has been the talisman for the Hammers this season so far, is the Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic. The former Stoke City striker has scored seven goals this season and has got his side over the line on a number of occasions. However, the player has been linked with a move to the cash-rich Chinese Super League and might be on his way out of the London Stadium in January.
With the possibility of his best player leaving the side looming large, the Chilean gaffer could be nervous and should look at getting a viable replacement to West Ham. This is where Maxi Gomez comes into play. The 22 year old Uruguayan international has been in tremendous form this season for Celta Vigo and has nine goals to show for his efforts. He has evolved as a team player as well and has created five assists already in 17 games.
The possible departure of Arnautovic is sure to leave a massive hole in the West Ham lineup, with the existing strikers like Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll failing miserably to instil the same amount of confidence with their lacklustre performances. Gomez could be the right man to lead the line for the Hammers in case the Austrian forward leaves the London Stadium.
Gomez does not have any prior experience of playing in the Premier League, and that could make this a risky investment for the east London club. However, his current form and ability to convert half chances into goals should make him a risk worth taking for the former Premier League winning manager.
