Exclusive: McAvennie warns Moyes as West Ham are linked with Real Madrid 27y/o
We’re delighted to welcome former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the London Stadium…
Frank McAvennie believes West Ham manager David Moyes will be exercising caution after the Irons were reportedly offered the chance to sign Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz.
Italian news outlet Corriere dello Sport reported at the weekend that Real Madrid have offered the 27-year-old striker to Roma, AC Milan and West Ham.
It is understood that Moyes wants to add to his centre-forward options in the January transfer window and a loan-to-buy swoop for Diaz has been mooted.
However, McAvennie isn’t too sure due to how little the Dominican Republic international has played this season.
Speaking to West Ham Zone, McAvennie said: “I don’t know much about the boy but he’s not playing.
“David is picking the players now so he’ll know if this boy can fit in because he can’t make another mistake as they did with [Sebastien] Haller. £40million is a lot of money to spend for no return. You want goals for that sort of money and the big boy Haller’s not got it.
“They’ll be very careful with who they bring in next time.
“They don’t need someone to play who gets involved, they need a goalscorer because they are creating chances.”
Like Haller, Diaz scored a goal at the weekend when he netted in Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw away at Villarreal.
It was the ex-Lyon striker’s first start and only his second appearance this season for Los Blancos.
Diaz also barely played for Real Madrid last season, earning just seven appearances in all competitions and failing to start a single game.
With the January transfer window just over a month away from opening, Moyes will no doubt be eyeing up potential targets to improve his squad.
And while Diaz might have shown in 2017/18 that he’s capable of scoring goals for fun at Lyon with 21 goals in 48 total appearances, he just hasn’t played enough in recent years to suggest he could hit the ground running at the London Stadium and that is crucial for a player when they arrive mid-season.
In other West Ham news, Fabian Balbuena has hailed Sebastien Haller after West Ham’s win over Sheffield United.