West Ham closing in on Maxwel Cornet- How will he fit in?

West Ham are closing in on the signing of Burnley winger Maxwel Cornet after deciding to trigger his £17.5 release clause.

Maxwel Cornet, 25, arrived at Turf Moor from Lyon last summer and was a shining light in a relegated Burnley side, scoring nine goals and registering an assist in the Premier League. He is expected to leave the Clarets following their relegation from the top flight and has been on the radar of many clubs, including West Ham.

West Ham boss David Moyes wants a left-sided attacker, and after failing to convince Eintracht Frankfurt star Filip Kostic to join his side, he has switched his focus to getting Cornet, who is set to have a medical at the east London club this week.

Maxwel Cornet to West Ham—How will he fit in?

West Ham clearly are looking for an attacker in the transfer window, hence their reported interest in Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic. But having failed to bring Kostic in, they want Maxwel Cornet and it’s easy to see why.

Cornet made an instant impact in the Premier League and was Burnley’s top scorer last season. Given that now the Ivory Coast international has had a taste of Premier League football, he should be able to settle in quickly at West Ham.

The 25-year-old is an extremely versatile player, capable of playing out wide, as a secondary striker and as a full-back. At Burnley, he mostly operated in advanced areas on the left and through the middle, impressing with his pace, crossing ability and shooting prowess.

Cornet, in joining David Moyes’ West Ham, will help to form an exciting attack at the London Stadium. Teaming up with Michail Antonio, Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen, Nikola Vlasic and Said Benrahma, he is just one of too many players that opposing defences will have to worry about in the upcoming season. In addition to the fearsome talent up top, Cornet and co. are going to be fed by Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Pablo Fornals from midfield, which is going to take some stopping.

The Ivorian could compete with Benrahma and Vlasic for a spot on the left flank in Moyes’ favoured 4-2-3-1 system. His numbers – 51 goals and 29 assists in 252 games – for Lyon in Ligue 1 hint at the sort of player the Hammers are getting. The 25-year-old is a true attacking hub that can become an asset for Moyes’ side.

As Cornet is also more than capable of playing at left-back, or at left wing-back if Moyes decides to go with a back-three system in certain games, he could walk into the side ahead of Aaron Cresswell. He would also be an instant upgrade on Arthur Masuaku, who has joined Besiktas on loan.

Moyes wants his West Ham team to be a fluid, quick and interchangeable unit in the attacking third and the signing of Cornet will aid this, with the ex-Lyon man, Antonio and Bowen all capable of playing anywhere across the frontline.

All in all, the potential acquisition of the Ivory Coast international from Burnley would boost West Ham’s attacking options and give Moyes a deep squad, which is required to compete in the upcoming gruelling campaign.