West Ham could be about to make the signing that finally unlocks Said Benrahma – Our View

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West Ham United have needed a new striker for some time now.

Sebastien Haller left the club months ago, and since then, they’ve been wholly reliant on Michail Antonio to lead the line.

Now, Antonio is certainly good enough to spearhead the Hammers’ attack, but his chequered injury record is a worry.

Luckily, the Hammers are now eyeing up another striker in the shape of Alassane Plea, and that’s an exciting prospect, especially when you consider what he can bring to this team.

Obviously, what you want most from a striker is goals, and Plea can bring that to the Premier League. He actually scored five goals in eight Champions League appearances last term, so he’s able to hang with the very best at the top level.

However, Plea’s game is about more than just putting the ball in the back of the net.

Indeed, when you look at his WhoScored page, there are two attributes listed as being ‘very strong’ – through balls and key passes.

As much as the Frenchman can score goals, he’s also a great creator, as shown by his incredible assist tally in 2019/20 where he hit double figures in terms of goals and assists.

This could be massive for West Ham, especially when you consider the talent they have on the wings.

Jarrod Bowen could get even better if he plays alongside Plea, but perhaps the most exciting prospect is Said Benrahma’s improvement if he links up with the Frenchman.

We’re yet to see the best of Benrahma at the London Stadium, but if he’s allowed to link up with a more creative striker, akin to what Ollie Watkins was at Brentford, then he may be about to step up a gear or two.

Benrahma has what it takes to score bags of goals at this level, but far too often last season he had to do too much on the ball to create chances for himself, but if Plea comes in, that added element of creativity in the frontline could see his numbers skyrocket this season.