It’s the transfer window, which means West Ham will be linked with every striker far and wide, but one superstar should not be considered.
West Ham are looking for another striker to try and fix one of the squads biggest problems. Sebastien Haller has been leading the line during Michail Antonio‘s injury. The Ivorian international has found it difficult to fill the void. Now Antonio is fit again it is only a matter of time until he reclaims the starting berth, but backup is needed due to his proneness to injury.
The Hammers have been linked with a move for the current free agent, Deigo Costa. The Spanish striker is without a club after leaving La Liga Giants Athletico Madrid. The striker was a brilliant player, and even Paul Merson has suggested that Costa is ‘the missing link’ for the Hammers when talking on Sky Sports.
There will be a lot of competition for the strikers signature from rival Premier League clubs. Wolves and Arsenal are among the clubs that have been linked with interest in the former Chelsea hitman. West Ham have found themselves among those clubs but should avoid making a move for Costa.
There are plenty of benefits of having a player like Diego Costa on the roster, but there are also many negatives that should outweigh them. The 32-year-old would not provide longevity in the position, and signing him would only be a temporary fix for the Hammers.
Costa would also demand very high wages. Considering the club have plenty of bad experience of taking players on high wages at the end of their careers, one would hope that they have learned from past mistakes.
Another question mark that is hanging over Costa will be his match fitness and drive to perform. The striker has only played seven times in La Liga this season, scoring two goals. Considering there has been criticism of other Hammers targets like Joshua King and Marko Arnautovic for their fitness, Costa should be no different.
If Costa does not have the drive to perform for a club like West Ham, why should they try to sign him? the Spaniard has played for top teams chasing silverware for most of his career. A battle to get into the Europa League spots would not be a thrilling challenge for the striker.
David Moyes would surely want someone committed to the team and the vision rather than just there to pick up their last pay-day. The target of King would fit this description a lot better. The Norwegian would be grateful for the most to the Premier League from the Championship and will want to prove himself all over again.