West Ham United will surely be frustrated that their momentum from the past two seasons did not materialise into anything further in the 2023/24 campaign. It was a season that ended trophyless and proved to be the final year in charge for David Moyes.
He will be replaced by Julen Lopetegui, with the Spaniard hoping to improve on West Ham’s ninth-place Premier League finish this campaign. They were some way off Europa Conference League qualification, eventually finishing 11 points behind sixth-place Chelsea.
In Europe, West Ham were eliminated by arguably the best team in European football this season, Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bundesliga winners were runners-up in the Europa League this season, their defeat to Atalanta in the final their only loss of the campaign in any competition. However, they did manage to beat West Ham on their way to the final, eventually overcoming the Hammers 3-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium.
With no European fixture congestion for Lopetegui to contend with, it means West Ham could climb the table and potentially go on a domestic cup run. However, there is no doubt they will need to strengthen the squad to help with their goals for next season, and they have already been linked with one transfer target.
West Ham’s winger shortlist
The player in question here is exciting 19-year-old Corinthians winger Wesley Gassova, who has had an impressive season in Brazil. He could be rewarded with a big move to Europe this summer as a result.
According to a report from The Standard, West Ham are targeting the 19-year-old and hope to make him their second signing of the summer. The first seems set to be Flamengo’s Fabricio Bruno – who looks likely to join the Hammers for around £15m in the coming days – albeit with new concerns emerging regarding a breakdown over personal terms.
Reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed West Ham’s interest in Gassova. He explained to CaughtOffisde that the winger is “attracting plenty of interest at the moment”, although West Ham are not thought to be the only club interested in acquiring his services.
Romano explained that “West Ham have been scouting him for sure, but there are like five or six clubs interested” in recruiting the winger.
Specifically, Romano name-dropped the Hammers’ Premier League rivals Liverpool as one club. A price for Gassova has not yet been named, and at this stage, it remains unclear as to how much the teenager would cost interested parties.
How Gassova compares to Jarrod Bowen
The young winger is highly thought of amongst fans of Brazilian football, and football analysts alike.
Football analyst Ben Mattinson described Gassova as “explosive” over on X, explaining that he can “play the goal as a creator or killer in front of goal”, highlighting his versatility. Mattinson also claimed that Gassova, along with hot prospect Lorran, are the two best youngsters in Brazil who have not signed for a major European club yet.
Should Gassova join West Ham next season, he will likely be playing on the left wing, with Jarrod Bowen claiming the other starting spot on the right flank. Bowen has been superb for the Hammers this season, scoring 16 goals and registering six assists in 34 games in the Premier League.
In contrast to that, Gassova’s numbers don’t quite stack up as well, but it is important to bear in mind he is just 19 years old and still very inexperienced. He has scored five goals and registered three assists in 25 games in all competitions in 2024 so far.
Competition
Games
Goals
Assists
Paulistão A1 – Primeira Fase
11
1
0
Série A
6
2
0
Copa Sudamericana
6
1
1
Copa do Brasil
4
1
2
Although Gassova’s goal involvement numbers do not seem impressive on the face of things, his Fbref stats speak volumes about the quality of dribbler he is. He is a fast, direct winger – much like Bowen – yet right-footed. He averages 9.63 attempted take-ons per 90 minutes, and 4.49 successful take-ons per 90 minutes, both of which rank him in the top 1% of wingers in similar leagues.
Gassova is also an explosive progressive carrier and does not just dribble for the sake of it, but with a purpose. To demonstrate this, his 4.56 carries into the final third per 90 minutes also places him in the top 1%.
A key thing to point out is Gassova’s crossing ability. It was already alluded to above by Mattinson, yet his stats also reflect how good he is at crossing. Gassova averages 0.65 crosses per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 9%.
This would pair well with Bowen, who is good in the air despite his short frame and likes to get on the end of balls into the box. As per Fbref, he averaged 0.43 goals per 90 minutes last season, which ranks him in the top 10% of wingers across Europe. He would certainly enjoy getting on the end of those crosses into the box from Gassova.
Bringing in a tricky, dynamic two-way winger for the left-hand side next season would help West Ham become an even better team. It certainly feels like one part of their side that leaves a little to be desired, and the Brazilian gem could add the missing piece to the Hammers’ puzzle next season, to help them strive for domestic cup success and a higher Premier League finish.
