Stats – How does £7m West Ham target Rickie Lambert compare to Cole, Maiga, Nolan and more

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West Ham are thought to be considering another approach for Southampton striker Rickie Lambert.

Rickie Lambert could be the subject of a £7 million bid from West Ham United as the fallout from Nicola Cortese’s departure at Southampton continues.

Cortese was the man who rejected a first approach from the Hammers to sign the 31-year-old when he was chairman but the Mirror has suggested that several Southampton stars are now considering their futures.

Signing Lambert would be a superb piece of business for West Ham boss Sam Allardyce and West Ham would be getting a player in arguably the best form of his career, as he continues to enjoy call ups to the England national team.

So how does Lambert compare to the current crop of West Ham stars in key statistical areas from the Premier League this season?

Goals

Lambert has scored more goals than any other West Ham player so far this season. He’s certainly capable of getting well over the double figures mark and would enjoy a relatively unchallenged position in West Ham’s attack.

Total Attacking Assists

Lambert is right in the mix in terms of the attacking assists he creates in the opponent’s final third. He’d inject a little bit of creativity and it proves his decision making under pressure is solid.

Shots on Target

Lambert has more shots on target than any other West Ham player by some distance. What that shows is that he’s very precise and careful to make the most of half chances and good chances when they fall his way.

Aerial Duels Won

West Ham don’t always play slick passing football so any centre forward they have needs to be able to compete in the air. Lambert has won more aerial duels then the next West Ham player to appear on the list, Carlton Cole, so he’s well suited to hold up play and playing as a target man.

Fouled

In terms of how many times Lambert is fouled, he’s right up there with other attacking players in the West Ham squad. The Hammers have some great players in dead ball situations and Lambert winning more free kicks gives an opportunity for shots on goal and good balls to be delivered into the box.

image: © dom fellowes