In a recent report, The Telegraph (subscription required) has revealed that West Ham United have begun talks over a move for Bournemouth striker Joshua King before the domestic transfer deadline on October 16. The Hammers are looking to strengthen their attacking options and has identified the Cherries forward as an ideal option this summer (via The Telegraph).
King’s Recent Form At The Vitality Stadium
The Oslo-born attacker had an underwhelming season under Eddie Howe’s tutelage last season as he failed to help his side avoid relegation from the Premier League. However, King did manage to find the back of the net on six occasions while earning four assists in 27 matches for the side from the south coast of England across multiple competitions in the previous campaign.
The Norwegian speedster deserves a little bit of credit for averaging 1.0 shots, 1.2 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per game in the English top tier last season. However, he was sloppy when linking up play with his teammates in the offensive end of the pitch as evident from his pass success rate of 72.3% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
King would be tempted with the possibility of sealing a return back to the Premier League, so West Ham should consider engineering a move to bring him to the English capital this month. The 28-year-old could potentially strike a lethal attacking partnership with Michail Antonio at the London Stadium which makes him an attractive option for David Moyes right now.
What Will The Norwegian Forward Bring To The English Capital?
When playing with confidence on the field, King can be a decent finisher in the final third as he remains calm under pressure and can score in a variety of ways up top. His biggest strength is his quickness and agility to run with the ball at top speed and cause all sorts of problems for the opposition defenders. He is also proficient at finding space for himself in and around the opponent’s penalty area but tends to give away possession cheaply at times in the attacking third.
However, the 48-time Norwegian international needs to be more consistent in the Premier League if he wants to grow as a footballer and make a name for himself at the highest level. At 28, he is slowly running out of time, so a potential switch to West Ham could be a make or break move for him this summer.
King will add more pace and variety to David Moyes’ attack and will increase competition for the likes of Michail Antonio, Sebastien Haller, Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen and Andriy Yarmolenko for a place in the Hammers starting XI. Furthermore, the Norwegian goal-getter might even help the Londoners compete for a top-half finish in the Premier League this season.
