West Ham Opinion: Signing Steven Zuber should be a no-brainer for Pellegrini
According to claims from Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb, West Ham are back in the market for Swiss international Steven Zuber, having been linked with the 27-year-old back in 2017 when Slaven Bilic was at the helm of affairs.
Tuttomercatoweb understands that the Hammers want to sign Zuber for a fee of around £6million, with his contract at TSG Hoffenheim set to expire in the summer of 2020.
The east Londoners, however, are likely to face stiff competition from Serie A duo Lazio and Roma, as well as French outfit Nice. (h/t Tuttomercatoweb)
Zuber played a bit part role at Hoffenheim in the first half of the season but a loan move to Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart back in January has seen him hit top gear.
The 27-year-old has started 13 games in the league for Stuttgart since the turn of the year and has impressed with 5 goals and an assist. However, his scintillating run of form hasn’t been enough to steer his club to safety from the relegation playoffs.
Tuttomercatoweb reports that Zuber is unlikely to push for a permanent move to Stuttgart, with the team currently in danger of getting relegated, and there is a good chance that Hoffenheim would be prepared to cash in on him this summer to avoid losing him for free in a year’s time.
Zuber, who has 6 goals from 23 senior international caps for Switzerland, shot to prominence in his homeland with Grasshopper and had a short stint in the Russian Premier League with CSKA Moscow before switching boats to the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim back in 2014.
The 27-year-old was an important squad player for the German outfit in his first four seasons but he has gradually slipped down the pecking order due to the impact made by new arrivals. In all competitions combined, Zuber has made a total of 99 appearances for Hoffenheim, accumulating 8 goals and 8 assists.
The Swiss international is renowned for his versatility to play in multiple positions across the midfield. Essentially a left-sided midfielder by trade, Zuber has been used as a left wing-back, left-winger, central midfielder and also as an attacking midfielder behind the striker in a No.10 role.
The 27-year-old excels with his work rate, determination, good range of passing and ability to read the transitions in play to good effect, while also having a keen eye for defence-splitting through balls.
He likes to get forward and support the attack but he is equally adept at breaking up the play and winning possession back for his team. To sum it up, he is a wonderful all-around player who can be an asset to any team with his versatility and experience.
To put things into perspective, West Ham can have a massive bargain on their hands if they manage to strike a deal for the versatile Swiss international this summer.
The Hammers propelled themselves to a top-ten finish on the final day with a thumping 4-1 victory over Watford but they need to freshen up their squad this summer if they are really serious about challenging for Europe next term.
While bringing in a new striker to replace the likes of Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll and Lucas Perez should be high on Manuel Pellegrini’s wishlist, the Hammers also need to get rid of the deadwood in their squad and bring in a few useful squad players.
Given that West Ham have struggled for lack of cover due to several injuries over the course of the current season, someone like Steven Zuber would provide cover and competition in multiple areas of the pitch, although it is still unclear whether he will get a defensive or an attacking role under Pellegrini.
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Zuber has plenty of experience of playing at the highest level and is a player who boasts of Champions League and World Cup exposure in his CV, which make him all the more exciting a prospect for a club like West Ham. That said, it should be a no-brainer for Pellegrini to try and beat off competition for the 27-year-old this summer.
