West Ham keen on signing £26m-rated Joaquin Correa this summer – Report
West Ham and Everton are reportedly in the chase for Lazio attacker Joaquin Correa, who is understood to be valued at £26m by the Italian club.
According to Italy 24 News, the Premier League sides are in a two-way tussle to secure the Argentina international’s services this summer.
Correa, who has been capped on five occasions for Argentina, has enjoyed a relatively good goal-scoring season for Lazio.
He’s found the back of the net on eight occasions and provided four more assists in 28 league games this past season.
His blistering pace coupled with his low centre of gravity, make him an ideal wide attacking player. He’s got the know-how to get himself into attacking positions -showing just how well-rounded a forward he is.
Per the report in the Italian press, a fee of £26m could be needed to tempt Lazio to let go of one of their prized assets.
Sign him up
There’s a good chance we’ll be signing a winger this summer, and there’s no reason to think why Correa won’t be a good fit and hit the ground running in the Premier League.
Still only 26, Correa could in or near his prime and is unlikely to be cheaper than this in the coming years. His career trajectory has shown drastic signs of improvement and he’s now ready to take the next step.
We shouldn’t be bothered by Everton’s interest as they don’t have European football to offer or a proper structure behind the scenes. There’s also uncertainty about the new manager and which players will stay on for next season.
Rather than joining a sinking ship, Correa could be given the opportunity to play in the Europa League for a club that’s clearly on the rise.
The 26-year-old boasts impressive numbers this term. He sits in the 94th percentile of all wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for passes completed per game, shot-creating actions and progressive carries, per StatsBomb data.
Signing a player like that will give us that X-factor we need and a different dimension in the final third which will be crucial as we’ll be competing on multiple fronts for next season.
In other West Ham news, Game is up’ – BBC journo claims ‘Phenomenal’ West Ham-linked ace set to leave this summer
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