Following the addition of club-record signing Marko Arnautovic, West Ham United reinforced their attacking options further with the signing of Bayer Leverkusen striker Javier Hernandez for £16 million.
The 29-year-old put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Hammers and hopes to repay the faith of Hammers manager and long-term admirer, Slaven Bilic:
“Slaven Bilic was a massive influence on me signing. Since I joined Bayer Leverkusen he has wanted me, he spoke with me, he tried to do everything he could to bring me here, but it was impossible for a lot of reasons. Now I am here though; I am going to be his player and I want to give him back that confidence and try to do my best to make him happy.”
The History
Hernandez linked up with Guadalajara in his native Mexico at the age of nine, and progressed to make his first-team debut in 2006.
He spent the next four seasons with the club, and registered 29 goals and 11 assists in 78 matches in all competitions, before joining Manchester United in the summer of 2010.
The Mexican enjoyed a strong first season at Old Trafford, producing 20 goals and five assists in 45 outings in all competitions, helping his side secure another Premier League title.
But Hernandez found it tougher to earn regular starts over the next few seasons, with injuries and the arrival of Robin van Persie in August 2012 limiting his first-team opportunities.
He was loaned out to Real Madrid for the 2014/15 season and totalled seven goals and seven assists in 23 league matches before signing for Bayer Leverkusen on a permanent basis in August 2015.
His first season in Germany was very successful, racking up 17 goals and three assists in 28 league matches.
There was a slight drop-off last term though, as he managed only 11 goals and three assists in 26 appearances.
After representing Mexico at U20 level, Hernandez made his senior debut against Colombia in October 2009.
He currently has 96 caps to his name and has scored an eye-catching 48 goals.
The Prospects
Blighted by an impotent attack last season, West Ham turned to Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew, Ashley Fletcher, Jonathan Calleri, Diafra Sakho and Simone Zaza, but failed to stumble on an assured solution. The addition of a player of Hernandez’s quality looks to be a shrewd piece of business.
The Mexican has a wealth of experience at the highest level and boasts predatory instincts that the Hammers have lacked for several seasons. His enthusiasm should also be a positive in the dressing room.
Although the 29-year-old may not be as quick as he used to be, his movement in the box remains very impressive and his all-round game has improved since he was last seen in England.
For Leverkusen, Hernandez played both as a lone striker and also as part of a front two in a 4-4-2 formation.
His addition will provide Bilic with plenty of options. The new boy could lead the line in a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 or 3-4-3, or potentially be stationed alongside Carroll in a two-man attack.
West Ham scored just 47 goals last season, down from 65 in 2015/16, and the arrival of Hernandez should go a long way to rectifying that key problem.
The Hammers scored from a mere 9.4% of their efforts in 2016/17 – only five teams had a worse record.
But with a goal conversion rate of 21.1% at Leverkusen, Hernandez’s arrival should help rectify the Hammers’ profligacy in front of goal.
In terms of the Mexico international’s underlying statistics, he averaged a shot every 34.9 minutes in 2016/17, which was slightly inferior to Carroll (33.7). However, the target man recorded a conversion rate of 17.9%, with 14 of his 39 attempts made in the air.
Hernandez didn’t really offer much in terms of creativity, though, producing a key pass every 82.5 minutes, slightly stronger than Carroll (93.8).
While Carroll sets you back 6.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) after finding the back of the net just seven times last term, the clinical Hernandez has also been favourably priced and comes in at 7.0. Similarly, he demands a fee of 10.7 in Sky Sports, some 0.7 more expensive that Carroll.
But West Ham face four road trips and a visit from Spurs in the first six matches, so their attacking assets are expected to struggle for investment early on.
That should allow us the opportunity for some early scouting as we assess Hernandez’s impact on the new-look Hammers forward line.
His goal scoring record certainly suggests he’ll be able to thrive at the London Stadium, although Bilic will have to ensure his side play to the Mexican’s strengths. There’s also the hope that he’ll be handed spot-kicks duties – a factor that would have an impact on Manuel Lanzini’s stock as a midfield asset.
Only West Bromwich Albion and Burnley had fewer touches in the opposition box than West Ham last season – that will need to change given that all 37 of Hernandez’s Premier League goals were scored inside the penalty area.
“Little Pea’s” return to the Premier League provides Fantasy managers with a mid-price option capable of producing 15 goals, something that was lacking throughout much of last season.
Indeed, with Arnautovic, Ayew, Lanzini, Michail Antonio, and Robert Snodgrass all vying for pitch-time in the Hammers’ attacking midfield berths, Hernandez should enjoy a decent supply line and solve our third forward conundrum.
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