According to a recent report from The Sun, Neal Maupay could be set for a move away in this month’s transfer window. The 22-year-old striker currently plays his football at Championship side Brentford and has done so since leaving Saint-Etienne back in 2017, with his impressive goal-scoring exploits in the second tier seemingly attracting interest ahead of the rest of the January window.
And that’s because reports suggest that Aston Villa, managed by former Bees boss Dean Smith, are eyeing up a move for the Championship hotshot, as should West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini in a move which could finally rid the Hammers of fellow forward Andy Carroll.
The Breakdown
Ultimately, while there have been some moments of magic from the 29-year-old during his time at the London Stadium, Carroll’s six-and-a-half year stint in East London has on the whole been a big disappointment, what with the striker suffering greatly from injury problems during that time.
In fact, the England international appeared for just the ninth time this season in their 2-0 success over Birmingham City in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday to underline his difficulties with injury, which can be further underlined by the fact that he has played only 137 times for the club since 2012, equating to less than 20 appearances a season.
However, the Hammers aren’t exactly well-stocked in the final third of the pitch behind talisman Marko Arnautovic, what with Carroll, Lucas Perez, and Javier Hernandez the only other out-and-out strikers at the London Stadium – and there is some uncertainty about the latter’s future at the club as well.
Clearly then, while Carroll’s contract is up at the end of the current campaign, one senses that West Ham need another forward option to then allow the 29-year-old to leave in the summer, with Brentford’s Maupay the man they must seek to sign this month.
The 22-year-old has been in outstanding goal-scoring form pretty much ever since he made the move to Brentford back in 2017, bagging 12 times in the Championship last term under Smith in their run to ninth place in the table, before taking it to another level this time round at Griffin Park.
And that’s because the Frenchman has netted 15 goals and laid on six assists in just 24 league appearances for the Bees, sitting just one goal behind top Championship goal-scorers Tammy Abraham and Billy Sharp – clearly, the 22-year-old has proven his worth and delivered the goods in front of goal.
And with the Hammers themselves slightly short in the attacking third of the field, Maupay would represent the perfect addition in this month’s transfer window, not just in terms of bolstering the forward ranks, but also given that his arrival could finally rid the East London outfit of Carroll come the summer.
West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!