According to the reports from Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Nicolò Schira, West Ham United want Andrea Belotti as a possible replacement for the outgoing Mark Arnautovic. The journalist mentions that the Hammers are willing to offer €40m and a contract until 2024 to Belotti.
A striker is on the top of the agenda for the club as they have already lost the services of Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez. Reports from the Daily Star mentions that West Ham’s approach for Belotti depends on whether they can get Maxi Gomez or not. Valencia are said to be in the mix along with the Hammers to sign the Spanish forward.
Therefore we think that the Hammers will only go after Belotti if they fail to land Gomez in the first place. Torino are said to be reluctant to sell Belotti as apart from being his side’s talismanic man up front, the 25-year-old is also the club captain.
The Italian international scored 17 goals in all competitions last season which brought his overall goals tally with Torino to 70 in 148 appearances. Those are certainly impressive numbers, and it is no surprise to see the interest over the striker from various quarters.
Will he be a good signing for the Hammers?
The striker has been scoring heavily in the Serie A for a while and is seen as one of the top strikers in Italian football right now. Belotti is known as a fox in the box as he can get in the right place at the right time more often than not. His positioning and reading of the game are often immaculate, and that makes him a stand out option.
However, he is not just a goal poacher as he can hold up play well and bring his team-mates into the game. The striker is also known for his high work rate as he pressurises defenders by chasing every lost cause. Physically too, he is not easy to shrug off, and not many defenders would enjoy playing against a striker like him. There is no doubt to us that if he manages to settle in at the London stadium, then he can be a top signing for the Hammers.
Can Pellegrini get his man?
It all likely depends on Maxi Gomez’s situation first. Torino are said to be reluctant to sell the striker, so maybe the club might have to shell out more than €40m for him in the transfer market. It would be interesting to see whether Belotti believes that moving to West Ham would be an upward step for him as Torino have finished 7th in the Serie A. Maybe, Belotti might feel that he could be good enough to move to a top club next who can offer him Champions League football.
