West Ham make approach to sign Sven Mijnans as January transfer blitz begins with double agreement in place
West Ham have made a move to sign AZ Alkmaar captain Sven Mijnans.
Nuno Espirito Santo is gearing up for a busy January transfer window as he looks to keep the Hammers in the Premier League after a miserable first half of the campaign.
After West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Brighton at the London Stadium on Tuesday, the Irons have entered the New Year in 18th position, four points away from safety.
It looks as though Nuno already has one new signing all but done though with Gil Vicente striker Pablo heading to London for a medical on Thursday after a £20million deal was agreed with his club.
And now it seems more arrivals are expected, with the Hammers registering an interest in Dutch midfielder Mijnans.
Nine players linked with West Ham in new report
According to the Daily Mail, West Ham have approached AZ Alkmaar over a potential January deal for Mijnans.
The Dutch No 10 has been in scintillating form this season, scoring 10 goals and supplying eight assists in 28 appearances across all competitions.
One of those goals came against Crystal Palace in the Europa Conference League in November, while Mijnans has also netted against PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivise.
West Ham have also reportedly enquired about Utrecht left-back Souffian El Karouani, suggesting they firmly have their sights set on the Dutch top-flight this month.
Players linked with West Ham in Daily Mail report:
- Sven Mijnans – AZ Almkaar
- Souffian El Karouani – Utrecht
- Jorgen Strand Larsen – Wolves
- Pablo – Gil Vicente
- Eddie Nketiah – Crystal Palace
- Ellis Simms – Coventry
- Haji Wright – Coventry
- Rafiu Durosinmi – Viktoria Plzen
- Adama Traore – Fulham
With the deal for Brazilian striker Pablo all but tied up, reports elsewhere claim that West Ham have personal terms agreed to sign Adama Traore.
As for outgoings, Niclas Fullkrug is joining AC Milan on loan, while Callum Marshall, Max Kilman and Guido Rodriguez have also been linked with London Stadium exits.
What do the stats say about Sven Mijnans?
Mijnans joined AZ from Sparta Rotterdam in January 2023 and has since played 133 times in all competitions for the Alkmaar club.
He’s a versatile midfielder, who has played mainly as a number 10 for AZ this term. However, he can also play in central and defensive roles in the middle of the park, or as a centre-forward.
Stats by Sofascore show that Mijnans has an average rating of 7.03 this season, but with just four Eredivise goals to his name, he’s massively underperformed on his xG of 7.15.
He’s missed a whopping eight big chances this term, a tally only five players surpass in the Dutch top-flight, while his xG is the eighth highest in the league.
It’s clear that Mijnans can get himself into the positions to score goals – but his goal conversion rate of just eight per cent is dreadfully low.
In terms of playmaking, he ranks joint-eighth in the Netherlands for assists (5) and joint-third for key passes (37).
If he plays behind a goalscorer who knows where the back of the net is, plus players like Jarrod Bowen, there’s a good chance that Mijnans will be a success at the London Stadium.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Ham United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westhamzone247