Graham Potter has come in at West Ham looking to change things with immediate effect, raising the pressing intensity off the ball, changing the formation based on personnel and aiming to get the best from his top players such as Lucas Paqueta and Mohamed Kudus.
Much of their early work has seen some good ball circulation around the back five, before launching it into a narrow front three and looking to pick up second balls closer to goal, in order to minimise the amount of touches and actions needed to create a shot.
With that being said, West Ham could clearly improve both on and off the ball with a particular type of midfield addition, one who allows them to access central areas without playing directly at all times, whilst simultaneously helping to dictate the tempo and control the game.
West Ham looking at Serie A midfielder
According to reports from Tutto Mercato, West Ham have lodged an enquiry for Juventus midfielder, Nicolo Fagioli.
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The reports state the 23-year-old is ready to leave the Italian giants, with there now being a “strong possibility” that he could leave this month.
Other interested parties include Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Fiorentina and Olympique Marseille, so West Ham will have plenty of competition for the Italian midfielder, but the allure of the Premier League could prove to be tempting.
Fagioli has made 22 appearances so far this season for Juventus, providing one assist, contributing to nine clean sheets and totalling 773 minutes played.
With most of his minutes coming from the bench, the 23-year-old could be seeking first-team minutes on a regular basis.
How Fagioli compares to West Ham target Angel Gomes
Angel Gomes is another midfielder who has been linked with a move to West Ham from Lille, as his contract is set to expire in the summer and the Hammers are one of the interested teams in the 24-year-old Englishman.
However, due to his contract expiring, plenty of other teams seem to be interested, including London rivals Tottenham.
Gomes came through the ranks at Manchester United, managing ten appearances for their first team before leaving to join Lille in 2020.
The England international spent a season out on loan with Boavista in Portugal, before returning to Lille and has now made 131 appearances for the club, scoring nine goals, providing 19 assists and totaling 8,581 minutes played.
But..how does he compare to Fagioli?
|
Nicolo Fagioli vs Angel Gomes comparison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Fagioli |
Gomes |
|
Goals + Assists |
0.11 |
0.29 |
|
Shots Total |
2.02 |
0.87 |
|
Progressive Carries |
2.87 |
1.81 |
|
Progressive Passes |
6.44 |
5.90 |
|
Pass Completion % |
88.0% |
81.6% |
|
Key Passes |
1.38 |
1.69 |
|
Tackles |
1.95 |
1.08 |
|
Interceptions |
0.43 |
0.38 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
5.06 |
2.05 |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
||
Well, when comparing the two central midfielders, you can see they offer similar qualities, looking to progress play with their passing ability, impact their side in the build-up phase and still get stuck in defensively, making ball recoveries and completing defensive actions.
A ball recovery is defined by the number of loose balls recovered by a player.
Fagioli has been compared to another Italian legend by Ariedo Braida, stating the 23-year-old “resembles [Andrea] Pirlo“. His ability to dictate play from deep, starting as a more attacking midfielder in his younger playing days, but working his way back to the base of midfield, becoming a controller for his side.
This is the exact profile West Ham need in order to access central areas at a better rate, control the game for longer periods of time and also add mobility next to a more physically imposing midfield partner such as Edson Alvarez to strike balance.
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