Karl Toko-Ekambi (Getty Images)
Back in January, a report from French outlet Le10 Sport (h/t Daily Star) had mentioned West Ham and Newcastle United among the potential suitors for Karl Toko-Ekambi, who was plying his trade with Villarreal back then. An asking price of £21million was mentioned but the Cameroonian eventually ended up returning to France with Lyon.
Karl Toko-Ekambi started his professional career with Paris FC in the French third-tier and subsequently went on to feature for Sochaux in Ligue 2. His exploits in the lower divisions paved the way for a move to the top-flight with Angers in 2016. After a decent first season at the club, the forward came to the limelight with a 17-goal haul in Ligue 1 during the 2017-18 campaign.
The 28-year-old was snapped up by Villarreal in the summer of 2018 and went on to enjoy a productive 18-month spell in Spain. Ekambi bagged an impressive 24 goals and 10 assists in 62 appearances for the La Liga club before joining Lyon in January 2020.
On his return to France, the versatile forward played a part in Lyon’s march to the semi-final of the Champions League last season.
Ekambi has enjoyed a stunning start to the 2020-21 campaign at the Groupama Stadium. The Cameroonian has plundered 9 goals and 4 assists in just 15 appearances so far to spearhead Lyon’s march to the top of the standings in Ligue 1.
West Ham are currently flying high in the Premier League after a successful battle against relegation last time around. The Hammers have accumulated 21 points from 14 games so far.
There are still plenty of games left to be played but a return to Europe for the first time since 2015-16 shouldn’t be beyond the reach of David Moyes’ side if they continue to pile up the points on the board.
The Hammers have managed a positive goal difference in the PL so far with 21 goals scored and 19 conceded in the process. That certainly represents a massive improvement for a club that finished the previous campaign with a dismal -13 goal difference.
West Ham, to that end, should be happy with the kind of progress they have made under Moyes. But the East London outfit should also be open to the prospect of adding more depth and quality to their ranks as they look to push on for a European spot. Karl Toko-Ekambi would be a fantastic signing for the Hammers next month.
Michail Antonio’s injury problems have forced Moyes to rely on Sebastien Haller in front of goal. The Ivorian international has stepped up with some valuable strikes but his spell at the London Stadium has largely been underwhelming.
A tally of 10 goals in 45 PL outings isn’t the kind of returns West Ham would have been expecting when they splashed big to sign him in 2019.
Moyes should, therefore, look to bolster his striking options with a move for Ekambi in January. The Cameroonian has been racking up goals and assists for fun at Lyon this season and certainly has the pedigree to improve the Hammers’ attack.
With top-level experience in France, Spain, and the European competitions, under his belt, Ekambi looks more than capable of making the step up to the Premier League. The 28-year-old has showcased the versatility to operate with equal efficiency anywhere across the forward line.
While he’s essentially a centre-forward by trade, the Cameroonian international has also excelled as a wide forward on the left. Hence, Ekambi’s goalscoring ability coupled with his versatility should make him a real asset to West Ham.
Karl Toko-Ekambi already boasts over 300 career appearances at the club level to go with 33 international caps for Cameroon. The 28-year-old, therefore, fits the bill as a quality attacker with plenty of experience who would hand a significant boost to West Ham.
Having said that, the Hammers splashing the cash on the in-form Ligue 1 star in January would be an excellent bit of business.