Why West Ham must reignite their interest in Felipe Caicedo
According to Calciomercato (h/t Daily Mail), Serie A side Lazio rejected West Ham’s approach for striker Felipe Caicedo.
The Hammers have endured one of their worst seasons in the Premier League and are at risk of getting relegated to the Championship. They are currently 18th in the league table, fighting hard to come out of the danger zone as the campaign nears its end.
They have lacked consistency in both defensive and offensive units and the need for reinforcements has been highlighted throughout the season. One of the main reasons for their abysmal performances is the lack of adequate goals to secure them a Premier League status.
West Ham signed Sebastien Haller and Albian Ajeti last summer after letting the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll leave. But that has not helped them as the Londoners have struggled in front of the goal.
Haller is West Ham’s leading goalscorer in the league with 6 goals and Ajeti has found the back of the net only in the cup games. Their failure to score has led the team to a downfall and it is a clear indication that David Moyes needs to try his luck with some other centre-forward.
Other attackers in the team like Andriy Yarmalenko, Felipe Anderson and Michail Antonio have also failed to provide support. The trio has managed a total of just 5 goals and 6 assists between them and thus, the Hammers should make another move for Lazio’s Felipe Caicedo.
The 23-year-old, who came through Rocafuerte’s youth ranks in Colombia, moved to Manchester City in 2008. From there, he was sent on several loan spells before joining the Spanish side Levante permanently, where he scored 24 goals in 103 appearances.
Lazio then bought him in the summer of 2017 and he has made 99 appearances for them so far, scoring 23 goals and providing 14 assists. In his second season in Rome, he scored 8 goals and has already levelled that tally this season in the league, with a further 4 assists to his name.
The Ecuadorian international has been in a decent form this season, playing a supportive role to the high-flying Ciro Immobile at Lazio. He would certainly provide Moyes’ side with some much-needed extra goals – provided he is able to replicate the same form.
Read more
- Why West Ham should have signed Gabriel Barbosa in January
- Why West Ham should make a move for Serhou Guirassy in the summer
- Why West Ham missed a trick by failing to sign Olivier Giroud in January
Verdict
Caicedo may not be a long-term solution for the Hammers since he is already 31 but given his form, the manager should consider a move.
Therefore, the Londoners must revive their interest in the 31-year-old, who is familiar with the English conditions from his time at the Etihad.
