West Ham Are Leading the Race for the £50m Lion Who is Perfect for Lopetegui

It feels like a huge burden has been lifted from West Ham United as Julen Lopetegui has agreed a deal to become the club’s manager from the start of next season.

Stamford Bridge sang “Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio” in unison as West Ham were beaten 5-0 in the Premier League last weekend, condemning the already doomed David Moyes to an exit at the end of his contract this summer.

The deal for Lopetegui has not yet been finalized but its announcement is still a formality at this stage, with West Ham confirming Moyes’ departure following recent games against Luton Town and Manchester City this month.

Now Tim Steidten, Mark Noble and Co. can begin strengthening the team over the summer, with plans already being drawn up for an exciting destination.

West Ham lead the race for the PL star

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, West Ham have received a major boost in their bid to sign Ivan Toney as Manchester United have given up on the race for the Brentford striker.

The Hammers, who now lead the race alongside London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, are ready to make a £50million bid for the Premier League star in what would be a stunning introduction to life under Lopetegui.

Spurs will turn to the center forward to sort out the sale of Harry Kane last year, but West Ham can offer a first-choice spot at the top with Michail Antonio out of contract this summer and Danny Ings for 6.5 million pounds is for sale.

Ivan Toney’s Premier League career

Toney has long been regarded as a high-level striker and performed well above his standard at Peterborough Town and Brentford before their promotion to the Premier League. However, with his performances in recent seasons he has cemented his status as one of the best strikers in the country.

Signing such a player would be the perfect way to kick-start a new era in east London, with the Irons’ aforementioned strikers both aging and lacking productive skills, resulting in winger Jarrod Bowen being shouldered the bulk of the burden from West to recruit Ham’s targets.

Toney’s exemplary 2022/23 season was cut short after the FA laid charges of betting violations and banned the England international for eight months.

He was recognized for his “Monster“His manager Thomas Frank’s offensive performance went beyond just scoring goals, as he delivered some emphatic, all-encompassing displays.

Last season in England’s top flight, Kane was the only centre-forward to create more chances (14) than Toney (12), with the 28-year-old winning a whopping 6.7 duels per game according to Sofascore, underlining his value as a performance persistent and committed player.

Known for his physicality and tough approach in the final third, Antonio is averaging 4.2 successful duels per game in the Premier League this season, highlighting Toney’s quality and the way he has excelled at West Ham would fit in with the flow of things.

After his lengthy ban in January, the £20,000-a-week star made an emphatic return to scoring four goals in his first five games, although the subsequent, still-running ten-game drought without a goal added to his side’s, and perhaps Toney’s, difficulties Desire made clear He will practice his craft somewhere else next season.

How Ivan Toney would fit in at West Ham

Lauded by Frank for having the “mentality of a lion”, Toney actually has the predatory instincts that will take him to the top of the Premier League once again and a move to West Ham may give him the best chance of doing so do.

Noted Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has sung Lopetegui’s praises. In fact, the 57-year-old has the tools and experience of winning European trophies to ensure West Ham’s successful period continues in the coming seasons.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers coach seems to have been pigeonholed as a “defensive manager”, but that is far from the truth. Lopetegui likes possession, control and creativity, and although he needs a solid base, he also strives for a sophisticated, interchangeable attacking game.

According to Sky Sports’ Adam Bate, Lopetegui’s success at Sevilla – where he notably won the Europa League – was achieved by “making them a much more fluid passing team” and “the emphasis was on possession”, which shows the approach he takes could be in the London Stadium.

Toney is ideally suited for such a role, with his dynamic qualities attracting interest from many of England’s top clubs, and for good reason.

According to FBref, Toney ranked in the top 19% of center forwards in Europe’s top five leagues in passes attempted last year, in the top 21% in progressive passes and in the top 1% in interceptions per 90, further highlighting his quality as a player a well-rounded player.

These are certainly not the flashiest metrics in the world, but there is no doubt that Toney is struggling in Brentford’s struggling squad and a move to West Ham could see him return to the heights of previous seasons.

Lucas Paqueta is likely facing an exit this summer as Manchester City seek an £85million deal, but those funds could be used to secure an ambitious move for the Bees man.

The club still has plenty of creativity in the form of Bowen, James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Kudus and others and will certainly bring in a new playmaker following the expected sale of Paqueta.

Toney would be the icing on the cake and would allow Bowen to play in his usual position on the right. Moyes may leave, but by completing this deal West Ham will continue to apply pressure and challenge the Premier League leaders.