West Ham are currently in the recruitment phase ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season, having already acquired Max Kilman and Luis Guilherme for new manager Julen Lopetegui.

After their 9th place finish last campaign under David Moyes, the Hammers will be keen to fight their way back into the European places, having finished eight points off of 7th and therefore a spot in the UEFA Conference League.

One key factor for West Ham will be extra recruitment in the forward areas, to offer support to Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, two of their best performers last season.

West Ham transfer news

According to a report from Record, as relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham are one of the main sides showing interest in Vitoria Guimaraes winger Jota Silva, as their chairman Antonio Miguel Cardoso awaits a concrete proposal to arrive, in order for them to negotiate his departure.

The report claims it is ‘practically inevitable’ he will leave Vitoria this summer, and the window for him is open, with the 24-year-old said to have already received several approaches through his representatives.

Silva, whose price tag is said to be up to €12m (£10m), made 42 appearances in all competitions last campaign for Vitoria, scoring 15 goals, providing seven assists, and totaling 3,456 minutes of Football.

Silva and Kudus’ potential partnership

Kudus made 45 appearances in all competitions for West Ham last season, scoring 14 goals, providing six assists, and totaling 3,511 minutes of Football.

Silva, who was dubbed a “standout” by analyst Ben Mattinson, is a right-footed winger, whilst Kudus is a left-footer, and both could provide a similar output and dynamic, but from opposite ends of the pitch.

West Ham are in need of a right-footed winger for that left-hand side, as Kudus, Bowen, and Paqueta are all left-footed operators.

As you can instantly tell, both players are best known for being goal-scoring wingers. Posting 0.36 Non-Penalty Goals per 90, putting them in the top 16% of attacking midfielders/wingers in the Men’s Big 5 leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days.

Kudus has always been known as a high-volume shooting player, so for Silva to better him in this metric, taking 3.08 shots per 90, this shows both players aren’t afraid to take a shot, and this explains their goalscoring with their shot-heavy tendencies.

To take this one step further, Silva gets 1.17 of his 3.08 shots per 90 on target, whilst Kudus only gets 0.72 of his 2.44 average shots per 90 on target. This gives Silva a 37.9% Shots on target percentage, whilst Kudus is only at 29.5%.

However, where Silva seems to be more efficient with his shooting, Kudus does better him as a ball carrier and 1v1 threat, completing 2+ more successful take-ons per 90, as well as 3.99 progressive carries per 90, compared to Silva’s 2.72 per 90.

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By adding another efficient shooter outwide, who can bring goals to the side, Kudus could be more “free” to play as a progressive carrier, continue to threaten in transition with his speed and power, and also continue to add goals of his own, as he did so well last season, which is why they could be a deadly pairing.