It would be fair to say that, so far, this summer has been a mixed one for West Ham United.
We are now less than two weeks away from the Premier League getting back underway, and Graham Potter has been given just three new first-team additions.
Granted, the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters and El Hadji Malick Diouf feel like smart acquisitions, but the same cannot be said about the only attacking addition made thus far.
Callum Wilson might have once been a deadly Premier League striker, but those days are long gone, and worse yet, West Ham are now being linked with another attacker who’d be just as poor a signing.
West Hame target another Wilson-esque signing
West Ham announced the capture of Wilson on Saturday afternoon, and while it’s certainly not the worst signing they’ve made in recent years, it’s hard to describe it as anything other than underwhelming.
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The former Newcastle United ace spent 191 days out injured last season, scored just a single goal in the 22 appearances he did make, and to top it all off, is set to turn 34 mid-way through next season.
In short, it feels doubtful that the Englishman is going to be able to contribute anything during his stay in East London, and just to make things worse, the club could soon be about to make another Wilson-esque signing.
At least that is according to a recent report from talkSPORT, which claims West Ham are interested in Raheem Sterling.
Worryingly, the report has revealed that the Hammers are one of several clubs looking to sign the Chelsea flop this summer, and due to his desire to stay in the capital, it’s a move that does not feel out of the question.
It’s unclear if the former Manchester City star would be leaving on a permanent deal or a loan, but even if it were the latter, it could still end up costing a considerable sum of money, considering he’s earning £325k-per-week in West London.
There is always a chance Sterling could come good, but even so, this feels like another Wilson-esque signing and one West Ham should steer clear of.
Why Sterling would be a Wilson-esque signing
So it’s probably fairly evident now that what we mean by a Wilson-esque signing is someone unlikely to have a positive impact on the squad next season, if any impact at all.
It might sound a little harsh, and maybe it is, but it doesn’t feel inaccurate to talk about Sterling in this way at the moment, especially after his failed stint with Arsenal last season.
The former England international told the Gunners’ faithful that they were going to “see the best” of him when he put pen to paper last September, but in reality, they saw anything but.
For example, in 28 first-team appearances, totalling 1143 minutes, the Kingston-born ace was only able to score a single goal and provide just five assists.
In other words, he averaged a goal involvement every 4.66 games, or every 190.5 minutes for one of the best teams in the country, and what makes those numbers even worse is that he mainly started in games against weaker opposition, like Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End.
Appearances
17
6
1
4
Minutes
496′
297′
80′
270′
Goals
0
0
0
1
Assists
2
2
0
1
Goal Involvements per Match
0.11
0.33
0.00
0.50
Minutes per Goal Involvement
248′
148.5′
N/A
135′
It also didn’t take too long for fans to give up on the 30-year-old either, with plenty criticising his lack of output and cutting edge, with journalist Charles Watts calling him a “passenger” and content creator Connor Humm being even more scathing, labelling him an “absolute waste of time and money.”
Now, while there is always a slim chance Potter could get more out of the previously dangerous winger, it feels far more likely that he’d be as big a disappointment in East London as he was in North London.
Therefore, even if it’s just a loan, West Ham should be steering well clear of Sterling this summer and looking to bring in a younger, hungrier and more exciting attacker who could develop into something special at the London Stadium.
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