In a recent interview with The Courier, ex-West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie urged his former employers to orchestrate a move to sign Lawrence Shankland from Dundee United. McAvennie said (via The Courier Sport), “He’s got to go to England and I’d love him at West Ham.
“I can’t believe a top Championship club or a Premier League club near the bottom of the table didn’t come in for him in the transfer window.
“If someone called me up and asked me about Lawrence Shankland, I’d tell them to take a chance on him.
“The strikers at West Ham are big lads but they don’t have the mobility of Shankland.
“His movement in the box is brilliant. He’s a proper striker, you can’t teach what he’s got.
“He reacts to everything. I’d love to say you can teach people what he’s got but you can’t.
“If I had a magic wand I’d be down at West Ham right now teaching the strikers.
“There are a lot of manufactured players around at the moment but Shankland isn’t one of them.
“He’s had setbacks and the penny dropped for him. He’s had to really apply himself and he’s getting the rewards now.”
Shankland’s Impressive Spell At Dundee This Season
The 24-year-old has enjoyed one of the most productive campaigns of his career at Dundee United after he put in a plethora of goal-scoring performances in the Scottish Championship thus far. He has registered 26 goals and provided three assists in 26 appearances for Robbie Neilson’s side this term across all competitions. The Glasgow-born talent has also earned two senior caps for the Scottish national team and has scored one goal for his country so far.
What Will The Scottish Forward Bring To The East London Club?
Shankland has decent pace and is a very effective dribbler with the ball in the final third. He primarily acts as a centre-forward but can also fill in on the right flank if required. He excels at holding possession high up the pitch and gets others involved in and around the opposition penalty area.
However, Shankland is yet to prove his worth as a goal-scorer outside Scottish football or even in the top tier. Therefore, the jury is still out on whether he will be able to up his game and step up to the level of Premier League football if the Hammers manage to bring him to the London Stadium this summer.
The possibility of the Scottish forward linking up with the likes of Sebastien Haller and Felipe Anderson will undeniably fill David Moyes up with more hope as he tries to stamp his authority in the English capital next season. At first, though, Moyes has to figure out a way to avoid relegation from the English top-flight which won’t be an easy feat because they are currently occupying the 18th spot in the league table.
