West Ham United are absolutely flying at the moment, and with all the positivity surrounding the London Stadium at the moment, it’s easy to forget that there’s still one big problem at the club.
Indeed, as much as it’s all smiles at West Ham right now, the reality is that they still only have one recognised senior striker at the club, and with Michail Antonio’s injury record not being the best, that’s a dangerous situation to be in.
Fortunately, help may be on the way as the Hammers have this week been linked with a summer move for Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham.
The Blues’ striker certainly has the talent to be an asset for the Hammers, and he may well be the Marko Arnautovic replacement that West Ham are still looking for.
When Arnautovic left the London club, their attempt to replace him was to sign another big number nine who could fill the void as 6 ft 3 Sebastien Haller came in to replace the 6 ft 4 Arnautovic.
Unfortunately, Haller didn’t quite possess the technical acumen of Arnautovic, with his game largely relying on his aerial ability.
However, Abraham doesn’t seem to suffer from that same issue.
Yes, Abraham is an aerial threat, standing at 6 ft 3, but he’s also got real ability with the ball at his feet, proving himself to be a competent finisher in a multitude of situations in the Premier League.
Much like Arnautovic, he’s got the pace to compliment his height, and while he doesn’t run at defenders in the same way the Austrian did, he has got the ability to get in behind defences.
Arnautovic is a rare type of player in that he combines, skill, height and technique to make himself a real handful for any defence in the world, and Abraham is one of few players that poses that same type of skillset.
Of course, the two aren’t carbon copies of one another, Arnautovic is much more skilful than Abraham, while the Chelsea forward relies more on his pace.
However, their build and their ability to find the back of the net makes Abraham a good alternative to what the Hammers once had in Arnautovic, and he’s certainly a better fit than Haller was.
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