West Ham United are battling to avoid the drop this season.placeholder image
West Ham United are battling to avoid the drop this season. | AFP via Getty Images
West Ham United could sell one of their most important players next summer to help the club move into a new era.
West Ham United are battling hard to avoid the drop this season, with Premier League survival within their grasp but still a distance left to go in the season.
The Hammers have won three of their last five league matches to claw back ground on Nottingham Forest and the sides above them, now just three points below safety with 12 matches left to play. Forest have sacked head coach Sean Dyche as a result of the increased pressure put on them by the Hammers.
Whether or not West Ham stay up this season – especially if they go down, but even if they survive – boss Nuno Espirito Santo and the club hierarchy will have an important decision to make over where they go next to drive the club forward. The answer may well be to sell one of their prize assets in order to obtain the funds necessary for a squad rebuild, with one particular star player standing out as one they could make a significant profit on this summer.
West Ham £42m starlet could be the next to depart the club
West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes has been one of the club’s most impressive performers this season, after the 21-year-old signed for £42 million from Southampton in the summer.
Though it may have seemed an excessive figure for a player just relegated from the top flight, the young Portuguese has more than justified his transfer fee this season and is already attracting attention from the big boys. The central midfielder has contributed three goals and three assists while shining with his defensive play and on-ball qualities for Nuno’s side, reportedly drawing transfer interest from both Manchester United and Manchester City in the January window according to Caught Offside.
While West Ham were adamant not to sell one of their key players mid-season, reporting stated that the east London club would be determined to make a significant profit on Fernandes if they were to sell him at some point. The reported inclusion of a relegation release clause in his contract complicates matters further, as the 21-year-old may be able to depart for a lower fee than desired if the Hammers are relegated.
West Ham would be smart to cash in on Fernandes this summer
This could mean, therefore, that it would be a smart move for West Ham to sanction the sale of Fernandes if they survive in the Premier League this summer. If they were able to extract a fee north of £65m - £70m for the midfielder, this money could be used to reinvest across the squad and strengthen in important areas, such as in defence.
It is important to remember that similar transfer fees were once quoted for Lucas Paqueta – he saw an £85m move to Man City collapse due to off-field issues – and the Brazilian has now departed for just £36.5m to Flamengo. Those were, of course, exceptional circumstances, and the chances of Fernandes’ transfer value depreciating so quickly are low at present. But injuries and off-field issues can affect any player, even those with the greatest of potential. Fernandes is certainly just that, as he has claimed top spot in 3 Added Minutes’ Wonderkid Power Rankings for four weeks in a row.
West Ham’s rapid slide from Conference League winners to relegation battlers has proven that the east London outfit are not quite ready to dine at the Premier League’s top table at present. As such, to be able to sell key assets in order to reinvest in the squad is a key part of remaining afloat in the top flight. If they can stay up by the skin of their teeth this term – and even if they do not – Fernandes should be the next asset on the conveyor belt to depart.
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