West Ham on verge of diabolical transfer blunder that could cost Premier League survival
West Ham are on the hunt for new signings this January, and have identified Joshua Zirkzee as a target.
The Manchester United attacker only moved to the Premier League last season, but has quickly fell out of favour at Old Trafford.
With Niclas Fullkrug set to move on from the London Stadium in the coming months, West Ham need a striker and have identified Zirkzee as a potential option.
However, this would be an awful move.
Joshua Zirkzee is not Premier League quality
Reports emerged on Tuesday that Zirkzee wants to move to another Premier League side, with West Ham the only English club interested at present.
This comes amid rumours that the Italian wants to leave Man United after failing to start a single league game this season.
However, all the stats point towards Zirkzee not being good enough for the Premier League.
According to Fotmob on 11 November, based on his Premier League stats from last season, the striker heavily underperformed, rarely shooting while also creating little.
| Joshua Zirkzee in the Premier League this season | Per 90 minutes |
| Goals | 0.19 |
| xG | 0.35 |
| Shots | 1.81 |
| Chances created | 0.78 |
| Touches in opposition box | 3.94 |
| Dribble success rate | 31.4% |
As bad as Man United were last season, the striker had plenty of chances to score, yet underperformed his xG.
Therefore, with the Hammers having less quality service, Zirkzee would likely do worse at the London Stadium.
If West Ham want to stay in the Premier League, they simply cannot be looking to sign the striker.
If Zirkzee is their main number nine going into the second half of the campaign, it could cost them their Premier League status at the end of the season.
Nuno Espirito Santo should have funds to spend in January
While Zirkzee may not be an ideal addition, signings are needed at the London Stadium.
Luckily, West Ham are reportedly set to back Nuno Espirito Santo in the winter transfer window.
While it is unknown how much money will be given to the manager, hopefully, it will be enough to bring in much-needed quality up top.
If not, the Hammers are running the risk of relegation once again.
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