Are Premier League giants West Ham United making the same old mistake as they reportedly target former Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa.
West Ham United fans would certainly have more than enough reason to be wary of links to Borussia Dortmund playmaker Shinji Kagawa, as reported by Footballeck.
After all, the Japanese star did not really stand out during two years at Manchester United, with his £17 million transfer fee resulting in little more than a hat-trick against Norwich City.
And it is worth remembering that the second of Kagawa’s seasons at Old Trafford was spent under the stewardship of David Moyes, the current West Ham manager. Kagawa was handed just 14 Premier League starts in the 2013/14, failing to score a goal and producing just three assists.
His age, too, is perhaps another concern. Kagawa is 29 years of age now and West Ham’s board has been criticised by fans in recent transfer windows for signing players whose best years seem to be behind them, see Joe Hart, Javier Hernandez, Pablo Zabaleta and Alvaro Arbeloa.
Kagawa, who inspired Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double in 2012 but has not made the same impact in his second spell at the club, would certainly fall into a similar category.
So now wonder some supporters are unconvinced – even if an £11.5 million transfer fee could be seen as a real bargain in today’s market.
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