West Ham United fans will be hoping £45m striker Haller scores more Premier League goals than Lukaku has for Manchester United.
New record signing Sebastien Haller has clearly made an impression on his West Ham United team-mate Issa Diop with the defender likening his fellow Frenchman to Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, in quotes reported by the club’s official website.
After months of speculation, Haller became the most expensive footballer in West Ham’s history last week.
The former Eintracht Frankfurt striker cost an eye-watering £45 million (Standard) yet, if he replicates his tally of 20 goals and 12 assists from last season, no one will be questioning the price of a centre-forward who is the very definition of the phrase ‘good touch for a big man’.
Comparisons will inevitably be drawn with Manchester United’s £75 million Belgian battering ram and Diop is certainly on board – though avid Bundesliga viewers will point out that, unlike Lukaku, Haller doesn’t have the first touch of a well-oiled trampoline.
“It’s true that they are similar because Sebastien is a target man who can also score and do everything, and he also has good speed, so I would say he’s a complete striker,” Diop said.
“As a person, he is also very good. He is humble but also very funny, so he will be good to have in the squad. I think he’s going to bring a lot to this club.”
Haller should at least end West Ham’s run of dreadful centre-forwards. 45 different strikers have played for The Hammers during the Gold and Sullivan era though absolutely none can be considered an unqualified success.
Yet, fans can certainly be optimistic that Haller is a big step up from Modibo Maiga, Marco Borriello and an overweight Benni McCarthy.
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