West Ham United youngster Edimilson Fernandes has impressed this season.
West Ham United haven’t lived up to expectations this season, as Slaven Bilic’s men have struggled to recapture the form that saw them finish seventh in the Premier League last season.
The Hammers brought in a host of new faces over the summer, but very few of them have had the desired impact for Bilic’s side, with the likes of Alvaro Arbeloa, Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza all struggling.
General view inside the London Stadium
However, one player who has flashed ability since arriving in the summer is midfielder Edimilson Fernandes, who joined the club from Sion in his native Switzerland back in August.
The 20-year-old – the cousin of former Manchester City and Leicester City midfielder Gelson Fernandes – was brought in as one for the future, but he’s shown immediate signs of his ability this season.
West Ham United’s Edimilson Fernandes celebrates scoring
After scoring six goals in 63 games for Sion, Fernandes has notched one goal in 12 games in a West Ham shirt, with his goal coming in an EFL Cup tie against Chelsea back in October.
An athletic midfielder with great size at 6t 3in tall, Fernandes has impressed whether in central midfield or further forward, whilst he even played admirably during his stints in an unfamiliar right wing back role.
Fernandes told the Daily Mail earlier this season that he wants to become like Paul Pogba, and whilst West Ham paid a mere fraction of what Manchester United ace Pogba cost, they’ll be hoping that Fernandes can fulfil his potential and become a dominant box-to-box midfielder.
With Reece Oxford out of the side and few other candidates, Fernandes is West Ham’s leading young player so far this season, and his performances so far will give Hammers fans real hope that they have a star of the future on their hands.
Manager’s verdict
“He is very comfortable on the ball in different positions and I’m sure that him, the club, the fans and all of us are going to benefit from him, big time,” Bilic told the London Evening Standard earlier . “He has got everything. It’s a great thing to see him make an impact like he has. It’s always great to see a new player doing well, especially if it’s a young player like he is.”
“We shouldn’t forget that he’s only 20-years-old, he came to a new country and doesn’t speak great English, so it was probably hard for him. But since the first day, he has been really good and positive,” he added.
Have you been impressed with Fernandes this season?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
