To find a player with an uncoachable and innate ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis is an exhaustive process, with some even calling it impossible.
Just ask West Ham – they are a team that are craving potency and, throughout the years, has wasted copious amounts on many underwhelming forward options.
One of which was Sebastian Haller. The Frenchman arrived in the English capital in 2019 for a club-record fee of £45m but ultimately flopped, scoring just 14 times in 53 outings.
His form since departing, however, has been astonishing, bagging 47 in 66 appearances for Ajax before earning a move to Borussia Dortmund where he has four strikes throughout 17 games.
How the Hammers could do with a record like that now having only managed to score 34 goals in 32 Premier League fixtures. Indeed, their attack has often looked disjointed, and they have desperately lacked a dominating focal point.
With top-flight survival looking increasingly likely, David Moyes and the board are placed in the unenviable position of trying to locate a free-scoring frontman, who can endear himself to the London Stadium.
One player who used to captivate the Irons’ faithful was Marko Arnautovic, with his eventual exit in 2019 – the year Haller joined – perhaps representing a bigger loss to David Moyes’ men than when the French forward would ultimately depart himself.
The Austrian first arrived in England back in 2013 when he signed for Stoke City from Werder Bremen.
Upon his arrival, Mark Hughes showered the 106-cap international with praise and lauded his potential.
He said: “People will very quickly see what an outstanding talent he is. In terms of his power and pace, which is something I think we need in the squad, he ticks all the boxes. Technically, he’s excellent, and I’m really looking forward to working with him. I think it’s quite a coup to get him here.”
The forward became an indispensable member of the Stoke side that finished ninth in three consecutive top-flight seasons, which included being named the club’s top scorer during the 2015/16 campaign.
The attacker then moved to East London for £20m and netted 11 Premier League goals during his debut season to become the first West Ham player since Bobby Zamora in 2007 to reach double figures for a campaign.
Unsurprisingly, he was also named Hammer of the Year to cap off an unforgettable first term.
Arnautovic replicated his fantastic introduction to West Ham and once again was the club’s leading scorer with ten goals.
The Daily Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt hailed the 34-year-old when he was at the Irons and said: “Few players can match Arnautovic for skill and power when he is fired up.”
He eventually finished his Hammers career with 34 goal contributions in 65 appearances in all competitions – a sublime record for a man, who was an intoxicating blend of brazen confidence physicality, and mastery.
The former Shanghai Port ace now resides in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy with Bologna and is the club’s joint top-scorer with eight Serie A goals.
He is still up to his old tricks and remains one of the most captivating and entertaining forces to wear the claret and blue of West Ham. Perhaps they should have done more to keep him in the East End, with his record eclipsing that of their transfer flop, Haller.
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