West Ham United will surely be disappointed that their momentum of the past two seasons has not been replicated in the 2023/24 campaign. It was a season that ended without a medal and it was the last year for David Moyes.
His place will be taken by Julen Lopetegui, and the Spaniard hopes to improve on West Ham's ninth-place finish in the Premier League this campaign. They were far from qualifying for the Europa Conference League, finishing 11 points behind sixth-placed Chelsea.
In Europe, West Ham were eliminated by the best team in European football this season, Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bundesliga winners finished as runners-up in the Europa League this season, with their defeat to Atalanta in the final ending their campaign in any competition. However, it was able to beat West Ham on the way to the final, eventually defeating the Hammers 3-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium.
With no rush of European games for Lopetegui to face, it means West Ham can move up the table and continue their domestic cup run. However, there is no doubt that they will need to strengthen the squad to help with their goals for next season, and they have already been linked with one team.
A short list of West Ham winners
The player in question here is 19-year-old Korinthian midfielder Wesley Gassova, who is having an impressive season in Brazil. He could be rewarded with a move to Europe this summer as a result.
According to The Standard, West Ham are looking at the 19-year-old and they hope to make him their second player in the summer. The first appears to be Flamengo's Fabricio Bruno – who looks set to join the Hammers for around £15m in the coming days – however fresh concerns are emerging over a breach of personal terms.
Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed West Ham's interest in Gassova. He explained to CaughtOffisde that the striker is “attracting a lot of interest at the moment”, although West Ham are thought to be the only club interested in his services.
Romano explained that “West Ham were definitely looking at him, but there are five or six clubs interested” in recruiting the winger.
Specifically, Romano's name has dropped the Hammers' Premier League rivals Liverpool as one team. The price of Gassova has not been named, and at the moment, it is not clear how much the child will cost interested parties.
How does Gassova compare to Jarrod Bowen
The young winger is highly regarded among Brazilian football fans, and football pundits alike.
Football commentator Ben Mattinson described Gassova as “explosive” on X, explaining that he “can play goal as a creator or killer in front of goal”, highlighting his versatility. Mattinson also said that Gassova, along with the hot Lorran, are the two best boys in Brazil yet to sign for a major European club.
If Gassova joins West Ham next season, he will most likely be playing on the left wing, while Jarrod Bowen claims another starting spot on the right side. Bowen has been impressive for the Hammers this season, scoring 16 goals and registering six assists in 34 Premier League appearances.
Conversely, Gassova's numbers don't add up well either, but it's important to remember that he's only 19 years old and still inexperienced. He has scored five goals and registered three assists in 25 games in all competitions in 2024 so far.
|
Gassova's 2024 by the numbers |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Games |
Goals |
It helps |
|
Paulistão A1 – Primeira Fase |
11 |
1 |
0 |
|
Serie A |
6 |
2 |
0 |
|
Copa Sudamericana |
6 |
1 |
1 |
|
Copa do Brasil |
4 |
1 |
2 |
|
Statistics from Transfermarkt |
|||
While Gassova's goal involvement numbers may not look impressive on the face of things, his Fbref stats speak volumes for the quality of the dribbler he is. He is a quick, direct defender – like Bowen – but right-footed. He averages 9.63 attempted takeaways per 90 minutes, and 4.49 successful takeaways per 90 minutes, both of which put him in the top 1% of players denied in the same leagues.
Gassova is also a consistently explosive carrier and drives not just for the sake of it, but with a purpose. To illustrate this, his 4.56 comes in the bottom third per 90 minutes and puts him in the top 1%.
What is important to point out is Gassova's ability to cross. It was already mentioned above by Mattinson, however his stats also show how good he is at crossing. Gassova averages 0.65 crosses per 90 minutes, making him a top 9%.
This would pair well with Bowen, who plays well in the air despite his short frame and likes to get on the end of balls in the box. According to Fbref, he scored 0.43 goals per 90 minutes last season, which puts him in the top 10% of players across Europe. He would certainly be happy to get on the end of those crosses into the box from Gassova.
Bringing in a tricky and powerful winger on the left side next season will help West Ham become a much better team. It certainly feels like part of their squad is missing, and the Brazilian gem could add the missing piece to the Hammers' puzzle next season, helping them aim for domestic cup success and a top Premier League finish.
Source link
