West Ham Linked With Shakhtar Donetsk Duo

West Ham United has been linked with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk duo Lassina Traoré and David Neres, with both players wanting to leave Ukraine in the wake of the ongoing conflict.

Traoré and Neres both joined Shakhtar from Ajax over the course of the 2021/22 season. Burkinese forward Traoré signed last summer, while Brazilian winger Neres joined weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine and failed make an appearance for the club. Neres has temporarily cancelled his contract with Shakhtar.

Neres was one of many Ukraine-based Brazilian footballers who recently fled to Romania due to safety reasons. The players – many of whom played for Shakhtar Donetsk or Dynamo Kyiv – had uploaded a video to social media to request that the Brazilian government help them to leave Ukraine, and they were able to leave on a coach after a few days.

Traoré, 21, made an immediate impression after he moved to Ukraine. He scored six goals in his first seven games, and helped his side to win the Ukrainian Super Cup in 2021. He can player as a winger or as a striker, using his goal-poaching instincts to hit the target. Although he is not tall, his physicality allows him to fight off defenders and for him to advance towards the box.

Neres, 25, grew up in São Paulo and became a member of Ajax’s academy when he was 19 years old. He broke into Ajax’s first team in 2017, playing 121 games and scoring 37 goals. He also won two league titles with Ajax and the 2019 Copa America with the Brazil national team.

Neres plays a free-flowing, wide style of play; he plays to the positioning of the ball and is able to consider his options, either crossing or cutting into the box in order to create chances.

Clubs in Brazil, France and Spain have reportedly shown an interest in signing Traoré or Neres. Both players appear to be desperate to move to another country, and they will have to consider their options. A move to West Ham may be one of the best places to move to with the Hammers going strong in Europe.