West Ham linked with Champions League striker, fans not happy.

You can’t make everyone happy, but it seems that attempting to bring in FC Porto’s Champions League striker Moussa Marega is making everyone upset in West Ham’s fan base.

I don’t understand it. West Ham supporters want proven goalscorers who are in their twenties and have a future with the team for years to come. Moussa Marega checks all these boxes. If I’m being honest, I don’t know why the player would forfeit consistent European competition to come to a project-team like Pellegrini’s West Ham.

In all competitions (46 matches), Marega has netted 21 goals, including an impressive six in nine Champions League matches. His eleven assists also show he knows how to create goals as much as he can bang them in. This season with Porto, Marega scored a very West Ham amount of league goals; his eleven would have him first in league goals with one more than Marko Arnautovic.

You remember Arnautovic, right? The 30-year old primadonna, self-absorbed, Chinese League trophy chasing, streaky striker that currently leads the line at West Ham? Yes, the player that has the Hammers fanbase divided between keep him and sell him for £40m. This is the same group of fans that is also near unanimous that Marega is too old (two years younger) and not worth the money (£10m-£15m cheaper).

Something that has to be remembered in the transfer window is not to overvalue something because you already have it, and not to undervalue something because you’ve never seen it in action. The perfect example of this is Josh Cullen. Do we really think Cullen will ever factor into a trophy winning team at West Ham?

In reality, while Cullen plays hard and gives it his all on the pitch, he isn’t suited for Premier League action and needs to be let go. Just because he’s a Hammers fan himself doesn’t justify a spot on the team, yet a fair few supporters want him given another chance to secure a midfield job.

As for Marega, he slots into the immediate grey area between young and old. At 28-years-old, this used to be considered the beginning of players in their prime, however younger talent has shifted this. The player himself is still lightning quick, instinctual in the box, a first-time shooter, and has the physicality needed in the Prem.

His downside is his ability to help in build-up play and lacks elite technical skills on the ball. His domain appears to be the final third and gets there with well-timed runs, blowing by his marking defenders. He plays extremely well with a secondary striker or advanced wingers, too.

Should the Maxi Gomez deal fall through, which it appears it may, Marega isn’t a bad contingency plan for West Ham; whatever happened to trusting Pellegrini and Husillos? The Malian striker is not too old, is still producing, and could be a good one-two punch with Arnautovic. If the price is right, look out for Marega in the Claret and Blue.