#3 Albian Ajeti (West Ham)

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Albian Ajeti is a 23-year-old striker who currently plays for West Ham in the Premier League, having joined them from FC Basel last summer for a fee of around £8m.

The Switzerland international was developed through FC Basel’s youth system and progressed through their Under-16, Under-18 and Under-21 squad before being promoted to the senior squad in January 2015.

Three years later, in September 2018, Ajeti would make his international debut for Switzerland and has played 10 matches for them since, but with only a single goal to his tally.

At Basel, Ajeti was a true force to be reckoned with, scoring 43 goals and providing 21 assists in 96 matches, which turned the heads of top flight clubs in Europe. He also has experience playing in the Champions League and the Europa League for the Swiss club.

West Brom were one of the clubs interested in signing Ajeti from FC Basel but were ultimately put off by his wage demands. Clearly West Ham were not, however, as they signed him around that time.

But now, a season on, and Ajeti finds himself at a crossroad: West Ham want to get rid of him as he’s failed to make any kind of impact for the them in the Premier League — making 12 appearances without scoring a goal — so he’s essentially forced into an exit, but is wary of ensuring that his next step is the right one.

Recent reports have claimed that Ajeti personally turned down a loan move to Celtic to instead wait for an offer from the Baggies, who some have presumed are the ‘unnamed club’ that allegedly told him to halt proceedings.

Naturally there is some apprehension surrounding Ajeti’s potential switch to the Hawthorns, given how poorly he’s performed for the Hammers, but under the right guidance, he could replicate his form at Basel which earned him so many plaudits in the first place.

With West Ham so keen on offloading the 23-year-old this summer, the Baggies could negotiate a relatively low sum to take him off their hands, which could work in everyone’s favour.

If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in: Top 10 highest transfer fees received.

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