They may still be in the relegation zone, but things are starting to look up for West Ham United this season.
Following their draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have lost just one of their last six games.
The Portuguese manager has made the East Londoners much more difficult to play against and is getting more out of players, such as Callum Wilson.
The Englishman is starting to look like his old self, but if reports are to be believed, West Ham could sign an upgrade soon.
West Ham aim for Wilson upgrade
While the Hammers have certainly improved over the past couple of months, it’s clear they still need reinforcements in the January window, and so it’s no surprise to see them linked with a host of talented players.
For example, Chelsea’s Axel Disasi has once again been touted for a move to the London Stadium, as has Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jose Sa.
Yet as good as both of these signings are, neither can be described as an improvement over Wilson, unlike Joaquín Panichelli.
Yes, according to a recent Spanish report, West Ham are one of the few Premier League clubs interested in the Argentine striker.
Alongside the East Londoners, the report reveals that Chelsea and Aston Villa have reportedly set their sights on the RC Strasbourg star.
A potential price tag for the 23-year-old is not mentioned in the report, but given his £28,000-a-week contract runs until 2030, he is unlikely to come cheap.
That said, West Ham should still do what they can to sign Panichelli, even if his arrival would be bad news for Wilson.
How Panichelli Compares to Wilson
Now, it has to be said that as things stand, Wilson is doing a great job for West Ham.
However, football is a brutal game, and if the Irons can find a better striker during the winter window, they should sign him.
So, with that said, is Panichelli a better striker than the Englishman?
Well, when it comes to their production, the most important measure of all for the future, the answer is unequivocally yes.
For example, so far this season the Argentine, who U23 scout Antonio Mango has dubbed “one of the most in-form strikers in Europe”, has scored ten goals in 19 matches.
|
Panichelli vs. Wilson in 25/26 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Panichelles |
Wilson |
|
Appearances |
19 |
13 |
|
Goals |
10 |
4 |
|
Aids |
0 |
1 |
|
Implications in goals per match |
0.52 |
0.38 |
|
All statistics via Transfermarkt |
||
This means that the former Deportivo Alavés star averages a goal every 1.9 games.
In contrast, the former Newcastle United ace has scored four goals and provided one assist in 13 appearances this season, which translates to a goal every 2.6 games.
Another area where the Cordoba native clearly has a significant advantage over the Irons ace is age.
The once-capped international only turned 23 in October, while the Coventry-born poacher is 33 and set to turn 34 in February.
That may not be a problem at the moment, but it means Nuno cannot build a team around the Englishman, which is not the case with Strasbourg’s “clinical” striker, as Mango calls him.
Ultimately, while Wilson is not expected to be moved, West Ham should sign Panichelli next month to compete with him for playing time and then possibly surpass him to become the club’s starting number nine.
West Ham already have a replacement for Paqueta who looks like Kevin De Bruyne
Nuno already has his replacement Paqueta in a hugely exciting West Ham star.
