Key stats for each of West Ham’s three headline summer signings
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Although the headline-grabbing striker they’ve been hankering for hasn’t arrived yet, West Ham have still been plenty busy during the summer transfer window.
Six new faces have been unveiled. Three – Ashley Fletcher, Toni Martinez and Domingos Quina – will bolster the club’s youth team, while Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore will compete for a first-team spot.
In order to get to know the latter three a bit more, we’ve trawled the stats sites to pick out the vital figures that best define their games:
Havard Nordtveit (Borussia Monchengladbach)
The Norwegian was used as a defensive Swiss Army Knife by Gladbach last season, splitting his time between the heart of defence and the base of midfield.
Whichever of the positions the Hammers utilise him in, they’ll have a committed player on their hands.
Nordtveit ranked second in the Gladbach side for both shots blocked and clearances, tallying 18 and 86 respectively in those departments.
He won the third-highest amount of aerial duels in the side, at a success rate of 61 per cent, and was adept with the ball at his feet having completed the third-most passes (1727).
Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia)
The Algerian winger was a free transfer from Valencia, signing a three-year deal with the Hammers.
He adds depth to the right wing position with Michail Antonio expected to shift back into right-back this term and had the second-most successful crosses for Los Che in La Liga last season.
Dani Parejo led the way in that category with 30, but he was the side’s chief corner taker, wheras Feghouli’s 21 largely came from open play.
He’ll be expected to get down the touchline and whip balls in to Andy Carroll.
Gokhan Tore (Besiktas)
Like Feghouli, Tore was acquired to bolster the right flank but is more in the mould of Dimitri Payet – who roams around looking to be creative – rather than a traditional wide man that supplies crosses.
The Turkish international had the third-most assists for Besiktas in their title-winning season last term, despite only logging the 11th-most minutes in the squad.
Only two of his six set-ups came from crosses while he made 37 key passes over the course of the season, which was the fifth-most in the squad.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
