West Ham Transfer Target: Allan Saint-Maximin

West Ham are already looking to shore up their offensive ranks with injuries and misfiring first team players providing an unreliable attack. With an emphasis on youth, European talent, and specifically French league players a certain right winger could fit the bill.

The player is Allan Saint-Maximin from OGC Nice of France’s Ligue 1. A quick synopsis on the player shows he is a speedy playmaking winger who uses his pace and dribbling skill to take on and beat his marking defender. He is small (5’6″) but makes up for it with technical skill and a terrific football sense that sees him enter the right areas.

At just 21 years of age, ASM is a player to invest in. He cut his teeth at Monaco, a club renowned for their ability to uncover elite youth talent and bring them into the first team. In the summer of 2017, he was bought by OG Nice for an unconfirmed fee in the region of £10 million and has posted okay numbers since then.

His first season at Nice saw him score five goals and add nine assists in 40 matches across all competitions. While not elite numbers, Saint-Maximin was getting his first look at a team with greater aspirations than his previous loan clubs Hannover 96 of the Bundesliga and SC Bastia of Ligue 1, blowing his previous years production out of the water.

Now into his second year at Nice Saint-Maximin has started on a better trajectory for the season. In 13 matches in all competitions, ASM has scored two goals and added two assists. Outside of statistical impact, the most important aspect of his game is his forward versatility.

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This season Saint-Maximin has regularly played as a leftwinger, rightwinger, and center-forward, switching on a game by game basis; LW: 3 matches, CF: 7 matches, RW: 3 matches. History would show that rightwing is his natural and desired position, however, all production this season has come from ASM playing the CF position.

The former Monaco wonderkid’s skills are not a very well kept secret as multiple teams have been linked with himin the past. However, after a mediocre season in France’s Ligue 1, Nice could be persuaded to move on from the player if they can turn a profit on the player, perhaps £15m?

His ability is elite but he needs to make that transition to on-pitch star. The starlet was marked to make the first team at Monaco before departing, was eyed up by Liverpool this passed window, and has drawn interest recently from Ligue 1 star club Marseille.

He makes a solid fit for West Ham due to his age (21) and speed. Manuel Pellegrini has noted that he wants young players that can grow into the team throughout their careers and that he wants fast players who can be game-breakers offensively. ASM fits both perfectly. He also offers that forward versatility and can play anywhere across the top line, possibly making hard squad decisions a little easier on the manager.

He also would be a terrific battery-mate for Grady Diangana at rightwing. It appears Michail Antonio will be off in January which would open a spot for Saint-Maximin signing. He would then enter a race with Diangana for the starting rightwing position, motivating both players to grab the opportunity and run with it.

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His addition would also fit well with summer transfer recruit Issa Diop who came across the channel from Toulouse and has become a star in West Ham’s team. Having another young, French youth international at the club for Saint-Maximin to link up with would help settle him and get him comfortable with the team quicker.

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