Exciting West Ham youngster shows surprising skill that could grab Moyes' attention
West Ham United have a proud history with their youth academy and Aji Alese is providing David Moyes with some food for thought.
The Hammers centre-back is back at the London Stadium after spending the second half of last season on loan with Cambridge.
Frankly, the loan spell wasn’t fruitful. He made just two appearances for the EFL side and with that mind, West Ham chose to keep him this season.
Instead of heading out on loan again, he has become an integral part of West Ham’s under-23 setup.
He was captain for the opening two games of the campaign against Arsenal and Brighton and has played in all seven league games.
In order to catch the attention of the senior manager, David Moyes, Alese is perhaps going to need to offer something different.
In recent weeks, he has done just that.
Alese scored the winner against Crystal Palace and then followed it up with another goal during a 3-1 win over Everton.
A goalscoring central defender is not to be sniffed at and chipping in with goals from the back only bodes well.
His recent strikes are the first two at under-23 level and he’ll hope to keep weighing in as the season progresses.
Can Alese break into the West Ham team?
It’ll be a tough task, but why not?
West Ham have typically placed a lot of faith in their academy prospects and Moyes has accommodated youngsters in the past.
The Hammers currently have four central defenders. Kurt Zouma has joined Craig Dawson, Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop in the defensive ranks.
Dawson and Ogbonna are both now in their thirties and Alese could be timing his good form to perfection.
West Ham may choose to go with some younger blood at the back next season and that could see a window of opportunity for Alese.
Alese has a contract until 2023 with the option of an extension. The next 12 months could be crucial for the youngster and Moyes could soon have a dilemma on his hands.
