West Ham are eyeing a summer swoop for Leeds United’s Jack Harrison.
What’s the latest on Jack Harrison to West Ham?
According to talkSPORT, the Yorkshire outfit are preparing for the departure of the winger following their relegation to the Championship, with the Irons and Aston Villa among those interested.
The Englishman is set to be handed a top-flight lifeline as the outlet understands that he has a relegation clause in his contract, meaning that he would be allowed to leave for a cut-price fee.
As per CIES Football Observatory, he is currently worth £17m.
Who could Jack Harrison replace at West Ham?
The 26-year-old has been at Leeds since 2018 and played in every single Championship game that saw them gain promotion in 2020.
Since arriving in the Premier League, across three seasons, the former Manchester City starlet has made 107 appearances and recorded 37 goal involvements.
Although his side has endured a hugely troubled campaign, Harrison has averaged the most key passes (1.5) and dribbles (1.3) per game in the squad, according to WhoScored.
The Londoners have already seen first-hand what the winger can do against them too, with the former New York City man scoring a rare hat-trick versus West Ham last season.
It was a performance that unsurprisingly drew a great deal of praise, notably from former Leeds star Noel Whelan, who said: “He’s a brilliant player, we know that. If you look at last season and the quality of goals he scored, we knew he had that clinical edge in his game.
“It wasn’t just the goals either, it was the workman-like performance and energy he brought, and he thoroughly deserved to get the goals.”
Harrison doesn't just provide his team with attacking contributions, but his selfless nature and defensive work has also been lauded. His teammate Junior Firpo once said:
“He’s one of the best wingers I had, in terms of helping the full-back. This is really important for the fullback when you have a winger that is committed to the work and helps you with the 2v1’s, especially here in the Premier League where every team has amazing wingers. It’s unbelievable to have him.”
From a Hammers perspective, Harrison could well replace the inconsistent Pablo Fornals, who started under half of the club’s Premier League games in a frustrating campaign.
Disappointingly, the Spaniard dismally resides in the lowest 13% of positionally similar players across Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries per 90, as well as the bottom 7% for successful take-ons per 90.
Furthermore, the diminutive talent only offered three top-flight goals all campaign, outlining him as someone who could be upgraded upon next term.
With the possibility of European success and qualification for the Europa League next season, David Moyes’ side will require the utmost squad depth and Harrison could be a formidable addition to the pack.
