Takehiro Would Have Been A Great Fit For West Ham

With the club finding itself in the lower half of the table after eight games, the east-Londoners led by David Moyes don’t have a lot to be happy or sad about, but they know they need reinforcements. This fact has spurred both fans and bettors to be excited by the chance of Tomiyasu Takehiro joining the squad. Currently, Takehiro is playing for Bologna FC in Serie A and the talks are still highly speculative, but if this deal comes to fruition, it could be a huge boon for the English team.

Quick Player Facts:

●Name: Takehiro Tomiyasu (冨安健洋)
●Date of Birth: 05.11.1998
●Place of Birth: Fukuoka, Japan
●Height: 188cm (6ft 2in)
●Current Club: Bologna FC 1909
●Market Estimate Price: $21.3M

Currently, West Ham has already signed the Czech Republic's Vladimir Coufal for their right back position, but there are doubts that the 28-year old will be able to give what the team needs if he needs to play at centre back in emergency. Most fans would love to see Takehiro at least as assistance to the position, adding a bit more versatility to the defensive flank. In that case, young Tomiyasu would act a the full-back/centre back role for the Irons.

Is the Move from Bologna Plausible?

Collecting information from both news outlets like the London Evening Standard and betting sources like alohashark.com, we can determine that there is genuine interest from the club for the Japanese national. By all accounts, they are planning to reinvest the money gained by the sale of Grady Diagana to West Brom. Apparently more interested in defence, they will be reinforcing the backline over searching for another attacking midfielder. However, the move might not be on the cards as Newcastle United have also shown interest in the Serie A rising star. With the anchored price being over 16 million pounds, or roughly $21.3M, this might turn into a bidding war between two Premier League teams, who are currently neck and neck on the table.

Takehiro Player Profile

Starring in his hometown team of Avispa Fukuoka at the tender age of 11, Takehiro has quickly risen to prominence in the J2 Japanese league as someone who clearly has potential. He quickly moved from the junior squad to the main team at 17. His European experience started in 2018 in the Belgian Sint-Truiden, where he scored a league goal as a center-back. After 27 games in Belgium he was scouted by Barcelona FC, but unfortunately without striking a deal. He was a regular starter for Bologna FC in 2019 and what was left of 2020, with 36 appearances in total for one full and one part season. Additionally, he is appearing regularly for the Japanese national team and was a part of all teams from U16 to U21, garnering 71 appearances since his beginning in 2014.

West Ham need to reinforce their right-back options

Even though this is a fresh season and nobody yet knows what will happen on the pitch, East-Londoners still remember the last season and more than sixty goals they conceded to be placed in the lowest quarter of the table. The lack of a strong backline is somewhat glaring, as their score was amongst the worst on record in the entire division. And such math is also visible from the fan’s position, which might be a much larger issue for the team that garners a significant amount of domestic support. West Ham has a specialist on the right-back in the form of Ryan Fredericks, who has been suffering from frequent injuries in the recent past. By all accounts, the only way for West Ham out of this mess is to strengthen their line by buying from the outside. And while Vladimir Coufal is predicted to show his talent on the field, that might not be enough. Investment in the form of Takehiro Tomiyasu might be just what the team needs to regain much of its former glory. With such a youngster, that would be a good investment for the future, even though it might be a slight burden on the team’s coffers or David Sullivan's wallet as he currently owns in excess of 51% of the club.

Conclusion

It is more than apparent that young Takehiro has gained a lot of European experience in Belgium and Italy and that he is ready to take on the Premier League. But, the fact that West Ham needs him might not be enough to bring the Japanese player to East London. If the Hammers are capable of hammering in this deal, it will surely pay off for them in the future. He ought to only become better with time and experience, and that is exactly the type of upward bound team building that Moyes wants to see. Be Lucky-Jap Hammer!