West Ham Should Turn To Fenerbahçe Midfielder For Depth

West Ham United will need to add depth to its midfield core this summer. This is especially because there could be some key changes in the team’s midfield options, with Felipe Anderson’s future in question and Jesse Lingard‘s return to West Ham looking uncertain.

One player that could ease West Ham’s midfield worries is Fenerbahçe midfielder Ferdi Kadioglu. The 21-year-old Dutch international has impressed Fenerbahçe’s fans and is building a reputation for being a hard-working, interdependent team player.

Kadioglu, born in the Netherlands to a Turkish father and a Dutch-Canadian mother, joined Fenerbahçe from NEC Nijmegen in 2018. Then-manager Phillip Cocu saw a lot of potential in Kadoiglu’s style of play, referring to him as a “young, talented and very high potential player” in December 2019.

Kadioglu has established himself as a regular starter for Fenerbahçe thanks to Cocu’s encouragement. Although Kadioglu does not have consistent goalscoring attributes, his work with the ball and passing makes him a flexible attacker.

He can be deployed as either an attacking midfielder or a winger because of his ability to adapt to different roles, but he plays predominantly as a winger for Fenerbahçe. He is known for his long passing, movement on and off the ball, and dribbles efficiently.

Kadoiglu notices gaps in the attacking zone and can quickly move into position to either create a chance or make a forward pass. Kadioglu’s dribbling ability and pinpoint passing would make him a major improvement on Andriy Yarmolenko, given that the latter’s constant stopovers and hesitant movement have frustrated West Ham fans.

Moreover, Kadioglu would suit David Moyes’ ethos of prioritizing hard work over flair. This is also because his hard work matches his existing talent, and the high intensity of the Premier League will help him add more variety to his own playing style. In the question of needed depth, this guy is it for the Hammers in 2021/22.