Anouar El Mhassani was West Ham United’s second signing of the summer.
Very little known was known about Anouar El Mhassani when West Ham United made him their second signing of the summer transfer window.
In fact, the former Ajax academy product could probably walk past David Gold and David Sullivan on the street and neither of the Irons co-owners would have a clue who he was.
But they might in the coming years if his goal for West Ham’s Under-18s is anything to go by.
Frustrations were reaching boiling point in East London at the time of El Mhassani’s arrival on July 19.
The Hammers hadn’t paid money for anybody (Pablo Zabaleta had joined on a free transfer) and exciting transfer links to big players weren’t materialising.
So it didn’t exactly help matters when Bilic went and signed a 16-year-old who was let go by Ajax’s academy after struggling with injury.
As a result, United fans mocked his arrival – evident by HITC Sport’s fan reaction article – but El Mhassani scored a fine goal in an Under-18 game for West Ham last weekend.
At just 16, it might be a while before West Ham catch a glimpse of El Mhassani in a senior game, though it’s by no means a guaranteed sight, but they might be slightly more excited about him now than they were when he joined.
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