Jonathan Calleri to West Ham United: Latest Loan Details, Comments and Reaction

West Ham United have completed the capture of Jonathan Calleri from Deportivo Maldonado, with the young forward signing on a season-long loan.

News of the 22-year-old’s move came via the club on Thursday:

The Guardian's Ed Aarons reported further details:

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic gave his reaction on the signing:

Calleri arrives in the Premier League with an impressive reputation, having previously excelled with Boca Juniors at La Bombonera and during a stint on loan with Sao Paolo.

Here’s a look at why the Hammers decided to take a chance on the man from Buenos Aires:

For West Ham, this has the potential to be a brilliant acquisition. Calleri seems to possess all the attributes to cope with the Premier League, having shown physicality, technical ability and a sharpness in tight positions around the penalty area. The enthusiastic manner in which he plays the game made him a big hit in Argentina, too.

WhoScored.com summed up the player's main strengths and the areas where he needs to improve:

At London's Olympic Stadium, he'll have to battle for a spot in the starting XI, with Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia both very handy forwards. But Calleri has shown he's got the quality to lead the line for the Irons, and he'll have plenty of service.

Indeed, Dimitri Payet was one of the most creative players in the Premier League last season, while the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Michail Antonio, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore are all adept at playing supporting roles to the centre-forward.

While there is much to be excited about when it comes to Calleri, it’s also worth noting that he’s the kind of player who may take some time to settle. Making the switch from South America to Europe is a big step for youngsters, with the pace of the game and standard of opponent increased.

If he doesn’t hit the ground running, it won’t be for a lack of trying. Making a significant move at such a young age is testament to Calleri’s ambition to go to the very top of the game, and he’ll be hoping to follow in the footsteps of many Argentinian forwards who have taken European football by storm.