Why Lassina Traore would be a good long-term signing for West Ham

According to claims from Dutch outlet De Telegraaf via Voetbal Primeur (h/t The Sun), West Ham have been credited with an interest in highly-rated Ajax forward Lassina Traore. 

As per the report, Premier League rivals Wolves are also understood to be in the race to sign the 19-year-old, who has been in excellent goalscoring form for the Dutch giants this season. It has been claimed that Ajax could cash in on the teenager with just 18 months remaining on his current deal. 

Traore started his footballing education at Rahimo in his native Burkina Faso and spent time on the books of Ajax Cape Town in South Africa. He eventually moved to Europe with Ajax in January 2019 established himself as a regular fixture for the club’s reserve side in the second-tier. 

The 12-cap Burkinabe international played a bit-part role for the first-team last season but has really come to the fore this term. Traore has plundered 8 goals and 8 assists in 16 appearances for the Eredivisie pace-setters, establishing himself as the undisputed first-choice No.9. The youngster’s highlight of his spectacular start to the campaign came in October when he grabbed 5 goals and 3 assists in Ajax’s historic 13-0 win over VVV-Venlo. 

Putting things into context, West Ham beating off competition in the race to sign Lassina Traore would represent a real long-term coup. The Burkinabe starlet has been banging in goals left, right and centre at Ajax this season and looks set for a bright future in the game. That he has been racking up such eye-watering numbers at the tender age of 19 clearly speaks volumes of his potential. 

In truth, the Hammers can certainly do with another out-and-out centre-forward in their ranks. Michail Antonio started the campaign on a bright note with 3 goals in 7 league appearances after scoring 10 in 24 games to guide the Hammers to safety in the Premier League last term.

However, the 30-year-old has struggled with injuries over the past couple of months, leaving David Moyes with Sebastian Haller as the only recognised option up top.

West Ham would have had high hopes of Haller evolving into a prolific goalscorer in East London when they forked out a club-record £45million to secure his services from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019.

However, the Ivorian international’s spell at the London Stadium was anything but spectacular. After scoring just 7 goals in 32 PL appearances last season, Haller underwhelmed once again this season with 3 in 16 league outings before departing for Ajax.

A potential move for Traore, to that end, would be an excellent piece of business for Moyes’ side. The teenager might not be ready for a regular starting role in the PL just yet but would certainly offer more depth and quality as the Hammers prepare for a hectic second half of the campaign. 

Verdict

West Ham have focused their recruitment on bringing in young players with room for development under Moyes’ stewardship. The likes of Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek have both reached great heights in East London and Lassina Traore looks like a player in a similar mould. 

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Following Christian Eriksen’s raging success at Tottenham, Ajax’s latest imports to the Premier League include top-quality players like Hakim Ziyech and Donny van de Beek. Having said that, West Ham could unearth their own gem from the Dutch capital in the form of Traore.