West Ham: Leon Goretzka could replace Rice

The 28-year-old would be the perfect heir to the departed captain…

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing an audacious move for Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka, as David Moyes continues his quest to replace Declan Rice.

The Hammers obtained £105m for their captain, who departed for Arsenal earlier this month, with a host of talent identified as potential heirs to the Englishman.

Could West Ham sign Leon Goretzka?

As reported by Sky Sports in Germany last week, the Irons have emerged as one of the clubs eyeing Goretzka, whose future in Bavaria is ‘still uncertain’.

The report claims that the Germany international is one of ‘five candidates’ on the club’s list to replace Rice, with him valued between €40m-€50m (£34m-£43m).

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Ben Jacobs called the potential move a ‘dream’ for the east Londoners, saying in full:

“Goretzka, for West Ham, is kind of a dream. There’s no denying that they like the player. But, at this point, there’s nothing more advanced than that.”

How good is Leon Goretzka?

Lauded as a “top-class” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 28-year-old has enjoyed an emphatic career in Germany, winning the Bundesliga on five occasions, as well as winning the Champions League with Bayern in 2020.

Now, a new challenge could be on the horizon in England, as the Hammers plot an ambitious move for the German.

For West Ham, the introduction of the VfL Bochum academy graduate could be the perfect coup in their bid to fill the void left by Rice, who was dubbed “admirable” by Tony Cascarino via talkSPORT after his 150th Premier League appearance.

While the 24-year-old’s departure will be a tough pill to swallow for the Hammers, Moyes could quickly forget about the former captain if he secured the signing of Goretzka.

The 28-year-old averaged 0.23 assists per 90 over the past year, ranking him in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

Having registered a total of 38 Bundesliga assists in his career, the Bayern Munich gem could provide the Irons with a bolstered skill set on Rice, who was criticised by Gary Neville and Roy Keane for not scoring or assisting enough.

When comparing the respective 2022/23 league campaigns of the two midfielders, the numbers suggest that Moyes could sufficiently replace Rice with Goretzka, as per FBref.

The Bochum-born ace averaged 2.24 tackles and 1.09 key passes per 90 in comparison to the Englishman’s 2.17 tackles and 1.02 key passes per 90 in the Premier League last term.

A pivotal area for strength required in the engine room is an eye for progressive play, identified as a decimal mirrored by the two stars, with Rice averaging 6.60 progressive passes and 2.42 progressive carries to Goretzka’s 5.94 progressive passes and 2.19 progressive carries per 90.

Praised for his “aggressiveness and pace” by former Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac, the 28-year-old could be the difference maker for West Ham, in a player that could fill the void, and more, left by Rice.

Moyes could take the Hammers to further heights next season by signing the Germany international, who would no doubt be a dream replacement for their former skipper.