West Ham have submitted a £27million bid for Nice and French forward Alassane Plea. Manager Manuel Pellegrini is interested in the player following Manuel Lanzini’s injury, which will keep the Argentine playmaker out for the next 15 months.
However, a player like Plea is unlikely to help the Hammers right now. The 25-year-old predominantly plays as a striker and to be fair, he performed well for Nice last season. If we look at the current West Ham squad, they already have the likes of Marco Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll to play that role. Therefore, having an extra striker might not solve their woes.
Let us now scout the player and find out as to why he might just become another squad member at East London.
Plea is a mobile forward with the ability to play either as a central striker or a left-winger. At times, he often drifts to the left to cut inside and unleash a shot. In the process, he creates space on the outside for the overlapping full-back.
The 25-year-old is a composed player who doesn’t panic in front of the goal. He is quite lethal while netting goals and his finishing skills are admirable as well. Plea can also play off the shoulder of the last defender, which helps him pick out key passes from the midfield.
Stats-wise, the Frenchman scored 14 goals in 32 Ligue 1 appearances last season. In addition, he also supplied 22 key passes and assisted 4 goals.
Despite all his skills, he is not a direct replacement for the injured Lanzini. He would boost the club’s attacking department but West Ham need a solid No.10 right now.
Furthermore, Plea is the best when it comes to supporting the defence. And that is hardly his fault since he is a true-blue striker. That said, West Ham should stay away from him for the time being since his addition would only create more problems for the Londoners.
