Sebastien Haller became West Ham United’s record signing this summer and he will make his Premier League debut against Manchester City.
Trevor Sinclair believes West Ham United could have signed the new Freddie Kanoute in £45 million record signing Sebastian Haller, while speaking on the Alan Brazil Sport’s Breakfast on talkSPORT (9 August, 8:00am).
As any Hammers fans will tell you, the Londoners don’t exactly have an outstanding record when it comes to signing strikers in recent years.
But in Haller, who arrived in a club-record deal from Eintracht Frankfurt (the Guardian), West Ham might, might have found the centre-forward capable of transforming Manuel Pellegrini’s side from a mid-table outfit into genuine European contenders.
Brilliant in the air but more than comfortable with the ball at his feet, comparisons with the silky yet strapping Kanoute are inevitable – and not just because they both share a French passport.
“Haller reminds me of Kanoute,” said Sinclair, who played alongside Kanoute from 2000 to 2003, before West Ham’s Premier League opener against Manchester City. “His mobility is really good, he’s got great control as a focal point.
“He could be a weakness for Manchester City. If you get balls into him early he could cause them problems.”
If you had to make a prototype centre-forward who would perfectly suit the English game, the end result would surely look something like Haller.
Not only is he ruthless in front of goal, netting 19 times for Frankfurt last season, he also has that rare mix of physicality and skill. Think Duncan Ferguson’s head on Dimitar Berbatov’s body.
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