‘He reminds me of Olivier Giroud’ – West Ham line up ‘modern striker’
West Ham are keen on signing Idrissa Gueye this summer to reinforce their front line.
Graham Potter is in need of a new attacker after the Hammers struggled to find the net last summer.
Talks over a £13m move for Gueye continue, as the Senegal international continues his quick rise.
Idrissa Gueye’s quick rise in France
Gueye has quickly made himself known France after signing for Metz in January.
The striker had previously played for Generation Foot in Senegal, where he won the Ligue 1 title at just 16 years old.
Since then, he has shone in Ligue 2 with Metz, netting five times in 17 matches in the division, which helped them win promotion.
As a result of his performances, on 8 March, he was named Ligue 2 Young Player of the Month for February and Metz’s Player of the Month.
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Comparisons to Olivier Giroud and Sadio Mane
As a result of his quick rise, it is no surprise that Gueye is already being compared to multiple big stars.
Gueye has been likened to Sadio Mane given their shared early history.
As well as the former Liverpool man, one of the biggest is no doubt Olivier Giroud, who has had an outstanding career across Europe and for France, winning the World Cup.
Sports director of Metz, Frédéric Arpinon, told Lesoleil (20 January): “I was lucky enough, a long time ago, to meet Olivier Giroud (in Istres, in 2007-2008). And he reminds me a little of him.
“I hope for him that he will have the same trajectory, said Arpinon on Friday, during the presentation of Gueye, who has committed himself for four and a half years.
“He has all the qualities of the modern striker. He has the technique, plays with both feet and has a very good head game.”
The incredible goal to end Metz’s winless streak
One of Gueye’s best performances for Metz came in his first start for the French side.
Against fellow promotion hopefuls Paris FC, Metz had previously played four matches without scoring in all competitions.
Therefore, Gueye was given the nod in the starting XI to attempt to end this streak, and the striker helped to deliver the victory.
With the scoreline at 1-1, a beautiful ball was whipped in by Gauthier Hein, and Gueye managed to out-jump his marker to cushion it into the bottom corner.
The scoreline eventually ended 3-1, with the 18-year-old playing a crucial role.
Gueye shines statistically
In his short time at Metz, Gueye has already produced some stunning stats.
According to Fotmob (6 August), the striker excels in multiple key attacking areas.
- Goalscoring: No doubt the most important for a striker, Gueye is averaging 0.49 goals every 90 minutes. His conversion rate is also high at 19 per cent.
- Defending from the front: For an attacker, Gueye is also exceptional at defending, winning 71.4 per cent of his tackles and only getting dribbled past 0.32 times a match.
- An aerial threat: One of Gueye’s biggest strengths is his threat in the air. The 18-year-old wins 3.98 duels a match, with a 51.6 per cent win rate.
This should make the Senegal international a menace up top in the Premier League, and he could thrive in England.
West Ham have been known to favour a striker with aerial ability, and Gueye would suit this perfect.
Gueye would be a bargain at West Ham
With Metz only demanding £13m for Gueye, little can go wrong for the Hammers.
While Potter is said not to be prioritising a striker, he should look to take a gamble on the 18-year-old.
The potential the attacker has is clear to see, and he could become a serious threat in the coming years.
Hopefully, a deal will be struck as soon as possible to get him to the London Stadium.
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