If Armando Broja is the epitome of West Ham United’s transfer policy – young, promising and boasting genuinely colossal re-sale value – then you cannot say the same about Wissam Ben Yedder.
Turning 32 in August, Monaco’s France international is 12 years Broja’s senior. And The Hammers have signed only one outfield player over the age of 30 since the summer of 2018, their fingers burned by the likes of Alvaro Arbeloa, Patrice Evra and Carlos Sanchez.
But Ben Yedder is no limping veteran looking for one last pay day en route to the nursing home. In an era where centre-forwards appear to be ageing like the finest of wines, Ben Yedder the footballing equivalent of a crisp Jean Foillard.
He broke the 25-goal barrier in league football for the very first time in 2021/22. Only Kylian Mbappe scored more in Ligue 1. Across all competitions, this most instinctive and ruthless of penalty-box predators hit the target no less than 32 times.
In fact, since the beginning of 2012/13 – when he was beginning to earn himself a fearsome reputation at Toulouse – Ben Yedder has scored 213 goals. That’s an average of over 20 per season. Is there a more underrated centre-forward in all of Europe?
Could West Ham United really sign Wissam Ben Yedder?
“Wissam brings confidence and stability to his teammates,” Monaco coach Philippe Clement says of his evergreen captain. “He is very important in the construction of our game. The opponents fear him and he opens up spaces for others.
“He’s not a big guy but he has really specific qualities. He reminds me a bit of Romario, with typical futsal actions.”
Now, if Ben Yedder wasn’t the wrong side of 30, the greatest football clubs on planet earth would surely be spending the summer months bombarding him with flirty messages and winks aplenty. As it is, West Ham and Wolves are the only clubs this side of The Channel currently keen. So say the Daily Star.
Whether The Hammers firm up their interest depends largely on whether Davids Gold and Sullivan are willing to splash out a fee in excess of £20 million for a player only a few months younger than Michail Antonio or Craig Dawson. Financially speaking, Ben Yedder makes little sense. From a sporting perspective, the opposite is true.
Imagine, for a second, that Ben Yedder fires West Ham into the top four at the third of asking. Champions League football remains a serious ambition after all. That’s surely a worthy return on your investment. If there was ever a time to break free of your transfer policy, it’s here and now, while a top-four finish remains a possibility.
After all, Manchester United and Arsenal cannot remain nigh-on incompetent forever, right?
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