da winzada777： According to reports from London Evening Standard, West Ham are ‘closing in’ on a transfer deal for Scott Hogan after tabling a £12.5million bid for the in-form Brentford striker.
da realsbet： The Hammers have already seen £10million and £11.5million offers turned down by the Bees but have now launched an improved bid that could well convince the Championship outfit to sell – although LES claim they’re holding out for £15million.
Hogan has been in fantastic form this season, notching up 14 goals in 25 second tier appearances despite Brentford languishing in the bottom half of the table, and the Irons certainly need a dependable goalscorer, having netted the seventh-fewest times of any Premier League side in 2016/17.
Those statistics alone are pretty convincing evidence of the Hammers pursuing the right January deal to give their lacklustre campaign a much-required boost, but FootballFanCast have three more to prove Hogan is the man Slaven Bilic’s side desperately need.
Payet’s playmaking
Kicking us off is a statistic most West Ham fans will already be painfully familiar with. Key passes are defined as passes leading to a shot that doesn’t result in a goal – in other words, unconverted chances – and no Premier League player has racked up more this season than Hammers talisman Dimitri Payet, who stands a staggering twelve above his closest rival in that regard, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
Looking at the West Ham squad, it’s not hard to see why. The entire strike-force – Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho, Andre Ayew, Jonathan Calleri, Ashley Fletcher and Simone Zaza – has notched up just four Premier League goals combined this season. Fitness has been a factor for many but it’s clear the Irons need a front-man who quite simply knows where the goal is. Which brings us onto…
An out-and-out goalscorer
As the above statistics comparing the Championship’s five leading scorers this season show, Hogan’s all-round game leaves a lot to be desired. At 5ft. 11″, his presence in the air is almost non-existent, winning the fewest headers of any of the above, whilst he also ranks second-bottom for total duels won (including aerial duels, take-on attempts and good old shoulder-to-shoulders) and joint-bottom for chances created alongside Glenn Murray.
But it’s the upper statistics that really show what Hogan would offer the Hammers. Only Tammy Abraham has produced more shots inside the box this season, highlighting his poacher’s instincts, and he comes in first place in terms of shooting accuracy – a fantastic testament to his finishing ability and composure in front of goal. Combine that with Payet’s aforementioned service from midfield and the Salford-born striker should supply goals as regularly as clockwork for Bilic’s boys.
Good business
£14.6m
Average fee paid for strikers in summer 2016
A unique statistic courtesy of the gremlins kept in the basement at FootballFanCast Towers. Excluding free transfers, Premier League clubs paid, on average, £14.6million-per-striker during the summer transfer window.
So picking up an in-form front-man for just £12.5million, provided Brentford accept West Ham’s latest offer, would be excellent business on the east London outfit’s part, coming in slightly below the market norm.
Of course, the Bees are reportedly holding out for £15million, which – barring a few pennies – would put Hogan almost exactly in line with the Premier League average. But considering the winter market is always more expensive than its summer counterpart and transfer fees tend to naturally inflate with every window, £15million still represents a solid yet sensible and fiscally cautious investment on West Ham’s part.