West Ham fans will be full of optimism ahead of the new season. The Hammers finally confirmed Sebastien Haller on Wednesday (BBC), and it looks like they’re not done yet, with a move for Victor Wanyama being mooted by ExWHUemployee, as per West Ham News on Twitter.
This comes as the news of Pedro Obiang’s exit intensifies. The Spanish-born Equatorial Guinea international is a target for Sassuolo in Italy and seeing him return to Serie A after spending four years at West Ham could bring in a fee of around £10m, as per the same West Ham News tweet.
However, with Obiang and Wanyama being very similar players, would it really be worth allowing Obiang to leave for a similar fee as to what it would likely take to prise Wanyama from Spurs? The Kenyan has also had his injury problems, and hardly shone last season as the Lilywhites are now looking to move him on.
Comparing the two Premier League midfield men makes for an interesting read. Wanyama is one year older than the West Ham man, yet last season he made just 13 Premier League appearances compared to Obiang’s 24, but the stats on the field are very similar.
Using WhoScored’s player comparison tool, Obiang edges out Wanyama on tackles and key passes per game whilst the Spurs man comes out on top when looking at clearances and pass success rate per 90.
The chances are that the Lilywhites would be open to allowing Wanyama to leave for West Ham, despite the rivalry that exists between the clubs. The Daily Mail recently released a list of eight players at Spurs who would be allowed to leave. Wanyama featured on that list, and with Kieran Trippier the first casualty from the eight, it wouldn’t be a bad bet for Wanyama to be the second.
The Irons will be keen to bring in a new midfielder should they sell Obiang on this summer, however, making sure the right man comes in will be crucial. Bringing in a 27-year-old who’s just finished a season having missed 20 games with knee problems, as Wanyama has, Transfermarkt, does not look like smart business.
