Better than Suarez & Van Persie: Opta stat proves West Ham have a bargain in Hernandez

Javier Hernandez’s £16million return to England with West Ham ought to have defenders up and down the Premier League quaking in their boots.

The Hammers have not had much recent luck in the striking department. Only one forward has managed double figures for West Ham since their return to the Premier League in 2012 – Diafra Sakho bagging 10 league goals in 2014-15.

Hernandez’s best return in four seasons with Manchester United was the 13 he scored in his debut campaign, but he went on to reach double digits in the following seasons also, despite rarely starting under Alex Ferguson.

In total, Hernandez scored 37 league goals for United in 103 appearances, of which just 49 were starts.

Mexico’s leading scorer netted his goals at a rate of every 130.2 minutes – extracted over a full season, playing every game that would return a 26-goal season. Not too shabby!

130 – Javier Hernandez has the 5th best minutes per goal ratio in @premierleague history (min. 20 goals). Sharpshooter. pic.twitter.com/51fnlNNziI

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 20, 2017

Premier League legends Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy top Hernandez’s sharp-shooting record, as do current Golden Boot rivals Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane, but the Hammers’ new boy trumps the likes of Luis Suarez, Robin van Persie and the league’s record goalscorer Alan Shearer.