He's Better Than Ferguson: West Ham Make Late Move To Sign New Striker

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The number nine issue at West Ham has been a consistent topic over the years and given the countless injuries to the likes of Michail Antonio, Niclas Füllkrug and even Jarrod Bowen, it has led to a very likely busy end to the January window, as the Hammers race to make a forward signing.

Luckily for Graham Potter, Lucas Paqueta has been a revelation, playing as a bit of a false-nine, making things stick from long balls up to him, drifting to support the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Carlos Soler and linking everything together for the side.

But at the end of this window, Paqueta may be able to return to a role playing off the left, should West Ham manage to recruit more of a target man profile upfront, with plenty of players being linked to fill that role this month.

West Ham looking at new striker before the deadline

According to reports from Italy, West Ham are interested in signing Napoli forward, Giancomo Raspadori, having had previous interest in the Italian back in 2022 when he was playing for Sassuolo.

It’s suggested that West Ham have already ‘made moves’ to understand what it would take to conclude a deal.

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The last time West Ham signed an Italian striker who had played for Sassuolo, it didn’t quite work out, with Gianluca Scamacca playing just 27 games for the club, scoring eight goals in 1,342 minutes played, after joining the club for a fee of around £35.5m. Thus, Raspadori could be their chance to flip the scripts, fixing their number nine issue once and for all.

Gianluca Scamacca celebrates a goal for West Ham.

Raspadori has made 14 appearances for Napoli this season, scoring just one goal, providing one assist and totalling 515 minutes played. His limited minutes could be what presents the opportunity for the 24-year-old wanting to prove himself as a starter.

How Raspadori compares to West Ham target Evan Ferguson

Another player who is being linked with a move to West Ham this month is Brighton forward Evan Ferguson, who has only managed 14 appearances so far this season, scoring one goal and totalling 373 minutes played.

The Seagulls forward is known as one of the best young strikers in the Premier League so is Raspadori a match for the Irishman? We’ve crunched the numbers.

Raspadori (2023/24) vs Ferguson (2023/24)
Stats (per 90 mins)	Raspadori	Ferguson
Goals	0.28	0.31
Assists	0.14	0.05
xG	0.30	0.28
xAG	0.23	0.03
Progressive Carries	1.72	0.80
Progressive Passes	3.28	0.86
Shots Total	3.38	1.98
Key Passes	2.06	0.34
Shot-Creating Actions	4.22	1.31
Aerial Duels Won	0.39	0.80
Stats taken from FBref

Whilst the players are different types of strikers, Raspadori being 5 foot 7 and Ferguson being 6 foot, both players offer a fairly complete set of skills as a centre-forward.

Ferguson being slightly bigger and having a bulkier frame makes him more effective in aerial duels and in the box, but Raspadori does offer a higher shot volume and far more progressive actions during the build-up phase.

A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.

Marco Rossi labelled Raspadori as a “strong footballer” back in 2022, expecting him to be the future of Napoli. He has shown glimpses for both club and country, but an extended run to find his confidence again could be what finally unlocks him to his true potential.

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With a better injury record than Ferguson, the potential to make it a permanent deal and a willingness to prove people wrong, Raspadori could prove to be the perfect signing for Potter’s West Ham side, taking them to the next level.

Judging by the numbers, he certainly looks like a better all-round package than Brighton’s young striker.