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As Bobby Wood continues to impress in the Bundesliga, four Premier League teams are eyeing the Hawaiian born striker. Leicester City, Everton, Liverpool, and our very own West Ham United are breaking their piggy banks for the chance to land the 24 year old forward. Wood has netted 9 goals in 23 appearances for the struggling Hamburger SV, who are currently in a relegation battle. Should the German side fail to keep above the bottom three, there’s a very good chance Wood will be looking to take his talents to England.
Let’s take a look at the four teams vying for Bobby and their chances.
Leicester City
This rumor is a funny one, and probably the least likely. Why? Bobby Wood is the American Jamie Vardy. He never stops running from end to end and is a rebound merchant. He’s also been known to play on the wing and can make something out of nothing. Recently though, Leicester has found their stride and looks to be a new side without Claudio Ranieri. Should this run continue, it would be hard to see where Bobby would fall with a forward line of Jamie Vardy, Islam Slimany, and Shinji Okazaki.
Liverpool
I can be talked into this one, as well be talked out of. Jurgen Klopp has firsthand experience with young Bobby and knows what he’s capable of. He’s a scrapper who doesn’t stop fighting and that’s exactly the kind of player Klopp loves to smile about. However, in Liverpool, there are just too many cooks in the kitchen and playing time will be sparse. Roberto Firmino will continue to be the first choice option with Divock Origi solidified as the future. The other detrimental factor is Liverpool will be looking to land a big name forward this summer, with some pointing towards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. I really don’t believe Bobby Wood is the name that will satiate the fans.
Everton
I could actually see this one happen. Everton is an American-friendly football club who aren’t afraid to take chances on young players. Looking at you, Tom Davies. How much time would he get behind Romelu Lukaku becomes the real question. The good news for Bobby is there isn’t much competition after the league leading goal scorer. Enner Valencia’s loan will run out and Ademola Lookman doesn’t seem quite ready. Should Lukaku feel he’s ready for brighter lights somewhere else, a big door will open up and Bobby could be the man to fill it.
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West Ham United
This has the potential to be a great fit for both parties. With Andy Carroll on pace to miss more games than he plays, the door is wide open for a tenacious playmaker to make a name for himself. Sure, next year we will see the likes of Toni Martinez and Ashley Fletcher, but what if Slaven Bilic decides once again they’re both not ready? The only issue I could potentially see is that he’s not the type of front man Slaven is used to building tactics around. We all saw what happened when Ashley Fletcher came into matches earlier in the year. He would run around chasing with absolutely no build up. Though a pacier front line manned by Manuel Lanzini, Andre Ayew, Michail Antonio, and Bobby Wood could make fits for opposition.