Looking to lift the heavy load of goal contributions from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen next season, West Ham United have already acquired Luis Guilherme, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug as attacking reinforcements.
Kudus and Bowen provided 55 G/A between them, with Bowen scoring 20 goals and providing ten assists, whilst Kudus scored 18 goals and provided seven assists.
But West Ham look keen to conduct even more business in the forward department, perhaps for a younger and slightly different profile to Fullkrug, as they look to bolster their squad ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
West Ham transfer news
West Ham were linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen forward Adam Hlozek earlier this summer and according to fresh reports, he could be on the move.
Indeed, Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that there have been concrete talks with clubs from the Premier League.
According to Plettenberg, Leverkusen are after €17m-€18m (around £15m), and there is likely to be a decision made on his future soon by both the club and the player. His current contract expires in 2027.
Hlozek made 36 appearances for Leverkusen in all competitions last season, scoring seven goals, providing five assists, and totalling 1,011 minutes played.
How Hlozek compares to Bowen
Now, of course, the first thing to point out is their positional differences, Hlozek is more of a secondary striker, who can play from the left, whilst Bowen is predominantly a right-winger, who can play from a range of other zones, one being as a centre-forward when called upon.
Hlozek only started six games for Leverkusen last year, but posted some very good per 90 metrics, and this is why the "powerful" forward, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, could be a great market opportunity this summer. Said to be the most similar player in European football to Bowen, via FBref, there are some interesting parallels.
Goals
0.78
0.52
Assists
0.63
0.16
xG
0.61
0.35
Progressive Carries
2.75
2.69
Progressive Passes
2.55
1.55
Shots
4.06
2.52
Shots on Target
1.56
1.12
Shot-Creating Actions
3.14
2.42
Successful Take-Ons
0.78
1.01
Aerials Won
1.57
0.99
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent's goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Hlozek's minutes are far fewer than Bowen's and this, of course, plays a part in the metrics. However, there are some very encouraging signs from these per 90-minute stats, his intent as a player and the qualities he brings.
Like Bowen, Hlozek – who scored against Arsenal last week in pre-season – is a high-output player, who wants to be in dangerous zones to affect the game, providing goals and assists for his team, creating chances for himself and others, and also proving to be a menace in the box.
His high shot volume, averaging 4.06 shots per 90, shows his willingness to pull the trigger, and his 0.61 assists also show he will find a teammate if they are in a better position than him, a good mixture of greed and savvy.
Hlozek, despite being only 5 foot 11, is still a nuisance to deal with, having a relentless physical profile, who wins a high percentage of his aerial duels, winning 1.57 per 90.
His link-up play with other forwards is another excellent asset of the 22-year-old, and this could prove to be a very clever move from the Hammers this summer.
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