Slaven Bilic’s West Ham United have definitely missed their star player Dimitri Payet since the turn of the year but the manager will now hope that he can get a player who can have a similar impact on the club next season.
In an inflated market as this, it is hard to find decent players ready to move on the cheap but one player who has now opened the door for a move to the Olympic Stadium is Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic. He has reportedly stalled on a deal with Besiktas who were reportedly close to landing him. This has opened the door for West Ham this summer but is Mandzukic the right man for the Hammers next season?
Slaven Bilic could be sacked by the end of the season if West Ham fail to move into the top half of the table but the manager will be confident of keeping his place and has already started planning for the next season.
The likes of Diafra Sakho, Jonathan Calleri, and Ashley Fletcher have not been able to act as able deputies for Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew who are the first choice attackers for the club this season and Bilic might let a couple of three leave this summer. He has been looking at the likes of Michy Batshuayi, Daniel Sturridge, and Lucas Perez recently but Mario Mandzukic could be a super option this summer for the Hammers.
Though he has just seven goals and five assists in Turin this season, the former Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich player has not been able to realise his potential at any of the biggest clubs in Europe and a move to West Ham, with reduced pressure, might bring him back to his best.
At 30, the Croatian international is right up there with the best finishers in the game and his attributes are tailor made for Slave Bilic’s plans at the Olympic Stadium. Known for his strength in the air and hold up play, Mandzukic is a target man in every sense of the word.
Capable of leading the attacking line of even the best teams in Europe, Mandzukic is a special player who can make things happen. He is a strong land who defenders hate to play against and even on a day when nothing is happening, Mandzukic can find the back of the goal with sheer persistence.
Andy Carroll should remain the first choice striker next season for the Hammers but Mandzukic could well replace him in the first team if given enough time. He is tailor made for the game in England and surely, the Croatian connection at the Olympic Stadium might push Mario Mandzukic closer to his previous best, in his debut in the Premier League.
