West Ham United are actively formulating contingency plans to safeguard their attacking line ahead of a grueling EFL Championship campaign, with Moroccan international forward Walid Cheddira emerging as a primary target. If Daniel Kretinsky can't make good on his pledge to keep as many key players at the club for the the upcoming season under Nuno Espírito Santo, resolving the immediate future of the striker position remains an absolute priority especially if Taty Castellanos pushes for a move back away form the club.
According to sources, West Ham's pursuit of Cheddira is heavily intertwined with the future of Castellanos. The Argentine international, who arrived from Lazio on a four-and-a-half-year deal, managed 6 goals in 18 appearances following his arrival, but faces an uncertain future in the second tier. Currently Castellanos has not pushed for a move but is waiting to see how many other veteran teammates commit and how aggressive Nuno's plan will be for a promotion back to the Premier League.
A low risk move
Cheddira, who has spent the latter half of his recent campaigns on loan at Serie A side Lecce after previous stints with Sassuolo and Frosinone, is viewed by the London Stadium hierarchy as an ideal tactical fit for English football. According to player scouting assessments from Italy's Tuttosport, the 28-year-old possesses the exact physical attributes required to cope with the grueling, quick-turnaround nature of a 46-game Championship season. Standing at 6'2", the Moroccan international is highly regarded.
Sources say Nuno values his work rate and willingness to press aggressively up front. Sound familiar? Cheddira might even be considered an understudy if Castellanos decides to stay. With uncertainty at the position and Callum Wilson considered to be leaving, Cheddira checks more boxes as he has strong aerial capability. Cheddira can also be moved out to the wing where Nuno is looking for potential replacements for Crysencio Summerville should he leave after the World Cup. During Summerville's injury spell this past season, Nuno's use of Pablo Felipe on the wing back fired. That wouldn't happen with Cheddira.
The Napoli-owned forward could add durable options and the high-energy Nuno covets at affordable price. Sources say Napoli has set a transfer value of between 8 to 10 million. This would be considered a low-risk move with negotiations expecting to heat up depending on how quickly Castellanos clarifies his stance.
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