It is no secret that West Ham United have a dismal observe document with regards to making centre-forward additions in recent times, with the GSB period having been affected by weird and at occasions expensive switch errors.
Among a prolonged record which incorporates the likes of Mido, Lucas Perez and Jordan Hugill, to call just some, is Ecuador striker Enner Valencia, the diminutive speedster having failed to actually make his mark in English soccer.
Signed for £12m in the summertime of 2014 after hitting 18 targets in simply 24 video games for Mexican outfit Pachuca, the 5 foot 9 marksman was anticipated to hit the bottom working at Upton Park, notably having netted three occasions throughout a standout World Cup marketing campaign in Brazil.
Although his arrival appeared one thing of a coup on the time, it rapidly turned obvious that the membership – and then-manager Sam Allardyce – had fallen for the age-old lure of signing a participant off the again of some spectacular but fleeting shows at a significant event.
A beautiful purpose on his full league debut in opposition to Hull City regarded like it might be the beginning of a vivid spell within the Premier League for the versatile ahead, however that early-season effort could be simply one among 4 league targets that he scored in his first marketing campaign in east London.
The former Emelec man would go on to attain simply 4 extra league targets in 2015/16. albeit having spent a lot of the season on the therapy desk on account of harm, earlier than being shipped out on mortgage to Everton in August 2016.
Was Enner Valencia signing?
Yes!
No!
However, regardless of being labelled “strong” by then-Everton supervisor Ronald Koeman, he fared little higher on Merseyside. He was ready till January 2017 to attain his first of three league targets for the Toffees, with the Goodison Park outfit unsurprisingly declining the chance to signal him on a everlasting deal for a reported price of £14.5m.
During that stint on mortgage, Valencia additionally sparked controversy for showing to faux an harm throughout a match for his nation, leaving the sphere in an ambulance as a way to escape the clutches of the police, who had been pursuing him for failing to pay youngster upkeep payments.
Unsurprisingly, following his return to east London on the finish of the 2016/17 season, the 70-cap Ecuador worldwide was subsequently bought on to Tigres in a deal value between £6m and £7m, with the Irons taking a loss on their preliminary funding.
In the top, the Hammers would probably have simply been wishing to get the £40k-per-week dud off their books as rapidly as potential, having value them £1.5m per league purpose in relation to his switch price.
After three seasons again in Mexico – the place he scored 34 targets in 118 appearances in all competitions – the £2.61m-rated man was signed by Turkish membership Fenerbache on a free switch in the summertime of 2020, with the 32-year-old netting 24 targets in 67 appearances since then.
A dependable goalscorer elsewhere, it merely didn’t work out for him in England, with West Ham left to look again on what was merely an costly mistake.
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