West Ham United salvaged some pride as they came out of their skin to deliver a punch in the last two matches. Following their loss, Slaven Bilic’s side was in immense danger but they turned the tide with two impressive performances in the last two games.
Despite their improved displays, there is still a margin of improvement for the Hammers and Bilic has been trying to plug those gaps. The Croatian gaffer already roped in four experienced stalwarts to his side but still, the balance is lagging.
Bilic was in an advanced stage to wrap up the signing of William Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon in the summer but the deal got spoiled due to their changed stance. The Hammers are in the dire need of some creativity in the middle of the park and Carvalho could have solved the problem.
But now that the deal got foiled, Bilic has reportedly turned his attention to Danilo Pereira of FC Porto. The Portugal international is of the same quality that Carvalho has and would be available for a much lower price. Bilic chose to rely on his available midfielders as he thought that the midfielders he has at his disposal would be enough to see out this season with ease.
But neither Mark Noble nor Pedro Obiang has shown quality to match the tenacity of the Premier League. Especially Noble who has been a loyal servant at the London Stadium, seemes to have lost his ‘midas touch’ and the manager needs to deploy a stronger figure alongside him to unlock the best from the midfielder.
Danilo could be the ideal type of player Bilic has been searching for. The 26-year-old has a magnificent 88% passing accuracy and has an average of four defensive actions in every match. He likes to play out the ball from deep and if needed, can storm out from his own half to have a more direct impact on the game.
Other than in the midfield, he can also play as a central defender with utter perfection so his performance speaks volumes for him and if he does come to London, it will be a boost for the Hammers in the latter half of the season.
Bilic had his scouts present in Porto’s 2-1 win over Rio Ave in the Portuguese top tier and is likely to raid the club once the transfer window opens in January. So can Pereira solve West Ham’s problems?
