Big mystery around forgotten £17m West Ham man Maxwel Cornet is very easily solved but his time could be nigh

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The big mystery around forgotten £17m West Ham man Maxwel Cornet is very easily solved but his time could be nigh.

When it comes to David Moyes and certain players there are a number of conspiracy theories floating around among some West Ham fans.

Every manager has their favourites and Moyes will be no different at West Ham.

On the flip side there will always be players with whom a manager – Moyes or otherwise – does not necessarily click.

Said Benrahma was seen to have been treated harshly by Moyes during his time at West Ham.

But for someone who is supposedly not fancied by the Scot – the Algerian has played a hell of a lot of football under him for the Hammers.

Another Moyes is said – by some – to “have it in for” is Maxwel Cornet.

Remember him West Ham fans?

The 27-year-old arrived in a £17m deal from Burnley nearly 18 months ago. And he has made just two Premier League starts since.

Indeed Cornet has just one solitary minute in the league for West Ham this season.

So it’s easy to see why there are conspiracy theories surrounding the Ivory Coast international. Especially given he can play up front and Michail Antonio has been woefully out of form for the last three months.

In reality the big mystery around forgotten £17m West Ham man Cornet is very easily solved but his time could be nigh.

Cornet’s lack of impact at West Ham is unfortunate but quite simple to unpack.

Firstly he arrived at the club unfit according to Moyes himself.

“It is probably his lateness coming back to pre-season and getting him back into condition,” Moyes said last September a couple of weeks after signing Cornet.

“He had not had many match minutes in pre-season and we are still finding our way with him. We are looking at how best to use him and fit him in but he has already shown he is someone who can get us a goal.”

Then just as Cornet was finally ready to make his first Premier League start for West Ham he was forced off after just 34 minutes against Wolves last October.

He would go on to spend over five months of his debut season out with what was an extremely rare and painful calf injury.

During his recovery Cornet spent a lot of time having private treatment over in France. Gianluca Scamacca elected to do the same in Italy when he injured his knee and that did not go down well with Moyes at all – by the manager’s own admission.

So it is safe to assume the same applies to Cornet’s decision to do his recovery away from West Ham.

As he tentatively made his way back at the tail end of last season West Ham were a team fighting on one front to avoid a relegation battle and on another to win a European trophy. Neither situation being ideal to gently ease a player back into the thick of top level action after such a serious injury.

Then comes the final piece of the not so puzzling puzzle.

Cornet is now fit and available for selection. But he has not one, not two but SEVEN players in front of him in the three positions he can operate.

At left-back, where he has played for Lyon and Burnley, Cornet would be behind Emerson.

In the left-sided attacking role he would be behind Lucas Paqueta, Said Benrahma and – whether you agree with it or not – Pablo Fornals.

Up front or on the right he’d be behind Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus.

But Cornet could yet rescue his Hammers career.

Injuries to Bowen, Antonio and possibly Kudus too could open the door for Cornet to get more game time during what will be a hectic West Ham schedule now the international breaks are out of the way.

His lack of game time in the last 18 months has cost Cornet a place in the Ivory Coast squad. So he may miss out on AFCON.

Ironically, though, that could be the key to turning things around for himself at West Ham as it will only further increase his chances of game time between January and February.

There will be no lack of irony if Cornet’s first shot at saving his West Ham career comes at old club Burnley this weekend.

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