Javier Hernandez could prove a vital asset to West Ham
West Ham have completed the signing of Javier Hernandez from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of £16 million.
The 29-year-old has signed a three-year deal and will fly out to Germany to join the Hammers for their pre-season training camp after completing his medical in London.
The Mexican striker will offer some sought-after quality in the attack as well as bolster the numbers following the signing of Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City.
Hernandez, more commonly known as Chicharito, is no stranger to the Premier League, having spent four seasons at Manchester United, winning the Premier League twice while at Old Trafford.
"For me, the Premier League is the best league in the world and when the opportunity came, I was desperate to sign for this club," said the forward following the completion of his transfer.
"It was not a difficult decision. West Ham are a historic club, and very ambitious – this summer you can see with the players signed that they are looking to have a very good season.”
Chicharito has a lot to offer
West Ham have seriously struggled for goalscoring strikers in recent years. Since 2010, the East London club have signed a total of 32 strikers, with just 12 of those scoring over three goals. Moreover, only four of them have managed to reach double figures in their time at the club.
The Hammers have been in desperate need of signings following a poor campaign last season that saw them concede the most goals in the league. West Ham also struggled in the final third. Loan signings Gokhan Tore, Simone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri managed just one goal between them, while Andy Carroll found himself injured on three separate occasions, missing a significant chunk of the season.
Chicharito, on the other hand, should offer some much-needed respite in terms of goals for the East London side. The striker certainly made a name for himself at Manchester United as a poacher, scoring all 59 of his goals in a United shirt from inside the opposition box. But, despite that, the Mexican international was often overlooked as a first-choice striker. However, he certainly left his mark in the Premier League with his 37 goals ranking him with the fifth best goals per minute ratio in the Premier League to date.
His most recent stint at Bayer Leverkusen proved fruitful, returning 39 goals in his 76 appearances and showing his dominance in front of goal. As Mexico's all-time leading goalscorer, the 29-year-old has a lot to offer in terms of experience at every level of the game and could provide much-needed guidance to younger players such as Ashley Fletcher, should he not go out on loan this season.
Apart from just goals, Hernandez can provide versatility to West Ham’s attack. The Mexican could start in a front two alongside target man Andy Carroll, offering a pacey partner to a stronger but slower Carroll. However, this partnership is very much dependent on the Englishman’s fitness, an issue that has been prominent over the past season, with him missing 27 games through injury.
The 2011 CONCAF Gold Cup Most Valuable Player could also lead the line alone; backed by Manuel Lanzini and Arnautovic on each flank, he could thrive. Chicharito is an intelligent player both on and off the ball, which will prove key, especially in matches against the top Premier League sides.
His movement matched with his intelligence and pace makes him a real threat to opposition defences, as he constantly latches on to the end of through balls.
Chicharito could prove to be a buck to West Ham’s trend of poor strikers and for just £16 million, the 29-year-old could also prove to be a bargain. His natural goalscoring instinct matched with his intelligence and experience could make him a vital asset to the Hammers over the coming season.