West Ham To Sign Their Next Starting Striker?

Welcome back to Rating the Rumour, which does exactly what it says on the tin. We’ll be taking the biggest transfer rumours related to Premier League teams and rating the likelihood of the moves coming to fruition.

The final rating will be decided based on the potential fit of the player into the rumoured buying club, the need for that club to sign a player for the position played, whether the player is of the level required by the club, whether the club could afford the rumoured price and whether or not the player is even likely to be available for transfer.

We will not factor in the reliability of the rumour, as it would likely cause mass amounts of crying from outlets, journalists and “journalists” who would have to be denounced as spoofers.

With the ground rules laid out, let’s look at Santiago Gimenez to West Ham which has been reported by multiple outlets.

Fit

Gimenez is an all-round number 9 who is malleable enough to fit into basically any shape or system. He is at his best as the lone 9 in a 4-2-3-1 though, which would make him a good positional fit for West Ham.

He’s a fantastic link player who thrives with quick interplay, and pacey players around him will reap the rewards of his exceptional ability to occupy defenders and play first time passes behind the defensive line. Bowen and Kudus should be licking their lips at the idea of playing with Gimenez, while himself would benefit from the service he would receive from the pair along with Lucas Paqueta.

Fit Rating – 2/2

Need

There’s no doubt West Ham have a need for a striker. Michail Antonio’s best days are a distant memory, and his goal return was never good enough for a team with real ambition. Antonio’s best role moving forward is definitely that of a squad player, capable of starting against certain opposition but being used most weeks off the bench.

With Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus likely to form one of the best attacking midfield lines in the Premier League, finding a number 9 to lead the line should be West Ham’s priority and Gimenez could be ideal to fill that need.

Need Rating – 2/2

Level

The jump from the Eredivisie to the Premier League is enormous, but Gimenez has dominated the Dutch league in a manner not really seen since Luis Suarez made a name for himself at Ajax. Gimenez has also shone in the Europa League, proving himself capable of taking on different types of defences and having success.

Given his age, 22, physical make-up, and potential, it seems a good bet that he would adapt well to the Premier League though an initial settling-in period might be required as he adapts to his new surroundings.

Level Rating – 1/2

Affordability

The rumoured asking price for Gimenez sits around £30mil, give or take a few millions depending on which outlet is doing the reporting. That is a fee West Ham should have no trouble paying, given much of their summer spending was covered by the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal.

Coming from the Eredivisie he will no currently be on a big wage so even a sizeable pay-rise for him should see him fit nicely into West Ham’s pay structure.

Affordability Rating – 2/2

For Sale?

This is always the hardest thing to judge. Feyenoord are 12 points behind PSV Eindhoven in their attempt to retain the Eredivisie title. It would take a monumental collapse for PSV to throw away their lead with 17 games remaining.

We can’t be certain because Feyenoord might prefer to keep Gimenez until summer in the hopes of getting a bigger fee, but it does seem likely that if an acceptable offer were to arrive they would be receptive to allowing him to depart in January.

Availability Rating – 1/2

Final Rating

Overall this rumour rates out at an 8/10. There’s no guarantee it will happen, but it’s certainly a deal that would make sense for both West Ham and the player. The Hammers could complete their attack, and Gimenez could take the next step forward in his career while potentially developing into a player capable of attracting the attention of one of Europe’s elite clubs in a couple of years.