3 reasons West Ham must continue Schurrle pursuit in January
Published:
Irons missed out on Deadline Day deal for German
Reports have emerged that West Ham United missed out on a Deadline Day deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Andre Schurrle.
However, with the player yet to settle at BvB, there’s a strong argument that he should be the Irons’ number one target when the window reopens in January.
Prem pedigree & impressive track record
Admittedly, Schurrle didn’t set the world alight during his two years at Chelsea. But his record in England certainly wasn’t bad. Despite starting just 25 games for the Blues, the winger chalked up 14 goals, as well as a number of assists.
However, he has shone very brightly at the game’s highest levels. Arguably the star player of World Cup 2014, he scored three goals and assisted as many as Germany lifted the trophy for the first time since 1990.
At club level, he already boasts 74 goals to his name, as well as a Premier League title with Chelsea, and cup honours with VfL Wolfsburg and Dortmund.
With all that in mind, it’s easy to forget that the man from Ludwigshafen is still only 26-years-old, and could well have the best years of his career ahead of him.
Having also experienced English football, the Germany ace would surely hit the ground running if he did head to London Stadium.
Irons in need of improved attacking options
In truth, you could quote any number of damning statistics about West Ham’s forward line. No player managed double figures across all competitions for the club last term. However, Schurrle has done just that on three occasions during his career, including 12 strikes for Die Wolfe in 2015-16.
Despite a flurry of injuries at Dortmund hampering him last season, the Irons target still created regular chances for his teammates, and has boasted an impressive pass completion rate for a player in attacking areas – well over 70% – throughout his career.
Compare that to the club’s recent wing options, like the inconsistent Soufiane Feghouli and the disastrous Robert Snodgrass, and it’s clear that someone of Schurrle’s pedigree would have a far better impact at London Stadium.
Admittedly the Hammers have signed a poor calibre of striker in recent times, but the service their frontmen have been getting has also been notably dismal, for quite some time now – as highlighted by this January 2017 tweet.
Since David Gold & Sullivan took over West Ham in January 2010, they’ve signed 32 strikers. They have scored 143 goals in 709 games. #WHUFC
— Jake Sanders (@JakeSanders92) January 10, 2017
Admittedly, boss Slaven Bilic does seem to have made a good attacking acquisition in Javier Hernandez during the summer, but there’s plenty more room for improvement needed up front for the capital club.
Fresh start will do Schurrle the world of good
For various reasons, it just hasn’t quite worked out for the winger at Signal Iduna Park. Injuries have hampered his progress, as there’s been very stiff competition for places in a Dortmund side packed with quality.
Schurrle has tended to thrive most when he’s been a big fish at clubs. As the star man in Mainz 05’s frontline, he enjoyed a prolific campaign in 2010-11, helping the underdogs to a shock European berth in the Bundesliga.
More recently at Wolfsburg, he dragged the club to an eighth-placed finish and a spot in the Champions League knockouts in 2015-16. The following season, without him, the club finished in 16th place and needed to win a relegation play-off to survive.
Simply put, Schurrle is at his best when he’s a key figure in a less illustrious side, as opposed to a rotation player at a club like Chelsea or Dortmund. In this mismatched and misfiring West Ham side, the player could find his perfect fit.
Next up for West Ham is Saturday’s visit to West Bromwich Albion. There’s 9/4 on offer for the Irons to win at The Hawthorns, while even-money says Both Teams to Score comes in for the third meeting in a row.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
