da cassino online： We’ll caveat this with getting it out there from the very start… the Brentwood Gazette’s record of transfer tips has been patchy of late. Alas, an interesting story has emerged from the publication, suggesting that West Ham are ready to break their club-record £15m fee paid for Andy Carroll with a £26m move for Arsenal’s Theo Walcott. Interesting stuff.
da dobrowin： Whether or not the flying attacker will want to leave the north of the capital to head to the east end remains to be seen, but the possible deal is one that makes a fair deal of sense for West Ham. As a club on the up, the Irons have money to spend and are on the verge of a historic move to the Olympic Stadium, and all of this comes at a time when they’re playing some of the best football they have in recent years under a manager universally loved in the stands.
Not sold on Walcott to West Ham? Well you may be soon, and here are FIVE reasons why…
A marquee signing
Whether you’re a big fan of Walcott or no, it’s hard to argue against him being a big name within the Premier League environment. The 26-year-old was, after all, a teenage England international, has heaps of experience in the Champions League and has lifted silverware in the red of Arsenal, and you don’t achieve all of these feats without being a little bit good!
There’s not doubt that he’ll be, if not the biggest, a massive name at West Ham, and his potential signing would help to usher in a new era at the Olympic Stadium.
Bags of experience
As he broke into senior football at the age of 16, Walcott, despite his many injury set-backs, has played many, many, many games at the highest level of English football. He quickly left Southampton as a teenage prodigy for the shining lights of north London, and has since made in excess of 300 appearances for the Gunners while winning close to 50 England caps. In this time he’s featured in Champions League action and has helped Arsenal to two FA Cups, meaning that he has quite a bit more know-how than many of the Hammers’ current key players.
So much Pace
The main weapon in Walcott’s armoury has always been searing pace. Some have said that he’s one-dimensional as a player, but having speed at your disposal has always been a dream for attacking players, and despite his numerous injury problems, the 26-year-old has not yet been robbed of his explosiveness.
Whether he uses this tool from an advanced wide role or as a striker, Walcott could add to the Hammers’ ‘up and at ‘em’ approach and serious threat on the counter-attack.
Walcott has a point to prove
Walcott’s career, despite the highlights, has not really taken him to the heights many expected for him. The pacey winger has by no means been a flop, but with so much promise in his teenage years the Saints trainee was expected to be a leading player for club and country in his peak years.
Maybe he’s always been destined to be an effective cog in a good unit, but Walcott still has time to prove himself and West Ham could well offer him the platform to do just that.
Depth will be needed
West Ham have a very good starting XI when everyone is fit and available. But, as was shown during their eight-game winless run between October and December – which included three 0-0s on the spin – they lack a certain level of quality when key names are out of action. After all, it’s no coincidence that with returning stars the Londoners’ recent results have been impressive.
As things stand, the Irons are likely to be in some form of European competition, so the balance between continental football and domestic responsibilities will stretch and already thin squad, so a sprinkling of quality and depth would be beneficial.