West Ham United's form in the Premier League has taken a rapid decline in recent weeks having lost three consecutive matches.
The latest of those gut-wrenching defeats saw them surrender a 2-1 lead against Brentford to lose 3-2, applying further pressure onto manager David Moyes.
Nonetheless, Moyes could be on the hunt for more talent in January to help bolster his misfiring squad, with reports suggesting the Scotsman is after an attack-minded midfielder to bolster his squad.
West Ham transfer news – Piotr Zielinski
After chasing him in the summer of 2022, West Ham are reportedly interested in snapping up Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski in the winter window, joining Liverpool and Juventus in the race for his signature, as per Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness.
The 29-year-old has entered the final year of his contract at the Serie A club, which means he will become a free agent at the end of the season. It would be wise for the Italian side to cash in on their talent in January to avoid losing him on a free transfer months down the line.
Whilst the age of Zielinski doesn't align towards the club's new policy to acquire young talent, capturing a player of the Pole's pedigree, who helped inspire Napoli to the league title last term, is an opportunity that the Hammers can ill-afford to pass up.
According to the CIES Football Observatory, Zielinski is currently valued at £26m (€30m) but to avoid losing him on a free transfer in the summer, it is entirely possible that the midfield maestro could depart the club for much less than that figure with several sides queuing up for his signature.
The 86-cap international, who was tipped to be the next Kevin De Bruyne by former manager Maurizio Sarri, would be an excellent signing for the Hammers, with this comparison highlighting his talent.
How does Piotr Zielinski compare to Kevin De Bruyne
Zielinski has been in excellent form for Napoli in the 2023/24 campaign and showcased his creative talent on a regular basis, averaging 2.8 key passes per game, creating four big chances and an expected assists (xA) of 2.27 in the Italian top-flight, as per Sofascore.
The "complete midfielder" – as lauded by none other than Carlo Ancelotti – has demonstrated that his sensational form this season isn't a flash in the pan having chalked up 18 goal contributions in all competitions last season to help his side to their first Serie A title in 33 years.
What's more impressive about Napoli's midfield genius is the fact his exceptional creativity at the top end of the pitch has come close to eclipsing that of De Bruyne in the past year.
Statistic
Kevin De Bruyne
Piotr Zielinski
Passes attempted
60.47
60.54
Touches (Att pen)
3.02
2.05
Passes into the penalty area
3.50
2.08
Progressive passes
8.71
5.93
Shot creating actions
5.98
4.83
Key passes
3.21
2.87
Carries into the final third
3.11
2.84
Figures via FBref
Man City's world-class technician is one of the best on the planet at providing telling quality in the final third – having been hailed as the "the best midfield player in the world" by pundit Jamie Redknapp earlier this year – and the above statistics suggest there was some truth in Sarri's remark about Zielinski, comparing him to the brilliant Belgian.
If West Ham can somehow fend off several European powerhouses and lure him to east London, he would be an exciting addition for the Hammers, with the Pole having showcased his technical prowess in abundance for Napoli.
