Pundit names Gabriel Jesus as player West Ham United should have targeted this summer
We’re delighted to welcome former West Ham United 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 says Gabriel Jesus is the type of player that West Ham should have been targeting before his £50m move to Arsenal.
The Hammers have been searching for a striker for over two years since selling Sebastian Haller to Ajax in January 2020, and now finally look to be closing in on Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo in a £35m deal according to Sky Sports.
But earlier in the summer Manchester City allowed Jesus to join Arsenal in a deal worth £50m, and McAvennie thinks he is the exact type of player that David Moyes should be looking at to improve the club.
“I liked Gabby Jesus from Man City,” he told West Ham Zone. “He’s one of them. I hope he doesn’t do well [laughs]. He’s a good player. That’s the type of player that West Ham should be going for.
“I’m hoping David has got somebody in mind, as I say.”
Jesus has hit the ground running for his new club, scoring four times in pre-season and is set to lead the line for the Gunners into the new season for Mikel Arteta.
Moyes had been targeting Armando Broja as his number one target this summer, but Chelsea’s reluctance to do a deal saw them move on to Italian international Scamacca.
The 23-year-old scored 16 goals in Serie A last season, the sixth most in the division, and was also being tracked by Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain before the club moved in to get a deal done.
It seems that the boss wanted a more physical striker than Jesus, but the most important thing is without doubt that a striker has been signed at all to provide competition and depth.
Michail Antonio has been the only senior striker option at the club since Haller’s departure and despite the great job he’s done, Scamacca provides an upgrade as a more natural option.