West Ham have had an unbelievable transfer window so far under Tim Steidten, who was only appointed last July, and is currently carrying out what some fans believe is "the best transfer window in the league".
The Hammers have spent €144.40m (around £124m) this summer according to Transfermarkt, acquiring Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug, Luis Guilherme, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Guido Rodriguez, Wes Foderingham and Jean-Clair Tobdio.
But the Hammers could yet make more moves, with some outgoings also on the cards, in order to recoup some of their money invested this summer.
West Ham transfer news
According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, via GIVEMESPORT, West Ham are considering a move for midfielder Carlos Soler.
Romano told the publication: "(Soler) is a concrete option for West Ham. It's true, he's one of the names they have on their shortlist. And now, obviously they will also need to assess all the possibilities and consider all the options. I think he could probably be the next one."
The deal is reported to cost around £17m, in order to bring the Spanish midfielder over to the London Stadium.
Despite suffering no injuries last season (according to Transfermarkt), Soler found himself on the fringes at PSG under new manager Luis Enrique, as other midfield options included Fabian Ruiz, Manuel Ugarte, Vitinha, Lee Kang-in and Warren Zaire-Emery.
Soler made 28 appearances in all competitions for PSG last season, scoring two goals, providing four assists, and totalling 1,277 minutes.
Soler and Edson Alvarez partnership
Alvarez, a defensive midfielder signed by the Hammers last summer after Declan Rice's exit, made 42 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring two goals, providing two assists, and contributing to nine clean sheets in his 3,155 minutes played.
With the signings PSG have made, bringing Joao Neves from Benfica for a big fee, and Gabriel Moscardo, who signed in January, finishing the season on loan with Corinthians, this could be West Ham's chance to form a formidable partnership with Alvarez, by obtaining Soler on a cheap.
Goals
0.14
0.06
Assists
0.28
0.06
Progressive Carries
1.23
0.78
Progressive Passes
6.07
3.53
Key Passes
1.64
0.41
Shots Total
1.13
0.66
Tackles
1.23
2.91
Blocks
0.82
2.16
Interceptions
0.56
1.55
Aerials Won
0.49
1.16
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.
At the age of 23, Soler was described as a "great talent" by Spanish legend, Gaizka-Mendieta, eventually earning himself a big move to PSG in 2022. Despite his "magnificent" talent – as it was further described by journalist Sid Lowe – the midfielder never really became a regular starter, only playing 1,773 minutes in his first season at the club.
But the creativity and progression in midfield from Soler, paired with the defensive and physical qualities of Alvarez, could provide West Ham with a perfectly balanced midfield, offering a bit of everything.
Their metrics clearly show the pairs' qualities lie in different categories, Soler averaging nearly double the number of progressive passes per 90, nearly quadruple the number of key passes per 90, and over quadruple the number of assists per 90.
Having said that, Alvarez averages more than double the number of tackles per 90, more than double the number of blocks, nearly triple the number of interceptions, and more than double the number of aerials won.
This pair would make a solid duo, containing the perfect mixture of ball recovery, aerial ability, progressive passing, and playmaking.
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