West Ham United should really try to sell Manuel Lanzini before the January transfer window closes next week.
The 29-year-old Hammers midfielder has become a bit of a ‘pointless’ squad member at the Lodon Stadium under David Moyes, as harsh as that might sound.
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The Argentinian was signed for around £9 million on a permanent deal in the summer of 2016 (The Mirror), having spent the 2015/16 campaign on loan at Upton Park.
He was a huge hit in East London…up until disaster struck for him in 2018. During the build-up to the World Cup out in Russia, Lanzini ruptured his ACL in training with Argentina.
Despite a mini renaissance during the second-half of the 2020/21 season, Manu has never been the same player since that injury, and it’s no surprise. Many players have failed to come back from it in the past.
And maybe now is the right time to sever ties with the ex-River Plate ace…
West Ham should sell Manuel Lanzini in the January transfer window
As popular as the South American undoubtedly is at the London Stadium, nothing lasts forever in football. And I believe it will be better for the Hammers to cash in on Manu now.
The problem for Lanzini is that he has become a bit of a nothing player. Is he an attacking midfielder? A deep-lying play-maker? Or even a wide forward? Because he doesn’t have a specific position, it’s harder for him to earn a regular spot in Moyes’s starting XI.
Lanzini is definitely not getting in ahead of Lucas Paqueta, and he’s behind Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals as well in the attacking midfield pecking order at the London Stadium.
So how about a deeper role? Unfortunately it’s a no again for Manu. Declan Rice is guaranteed to start week in, week out and when he doesn’t Flynn Downes will come in.
The best that Lanzini can hope for between now and the end of the season is the odd game in the Europa Conference League in my opinion.
Now, it could be argued that it’s worth keeping him around just for a bit of strength in depth. I believe we may as well sell him now while we can though, and bring in a younger model to replace him – someone like Alex Scott from Bristol City.
Let’s not forget, Lanzini earns a whopping £90k-a-week at the London Stadium (The Daily Star).
West Ham are in real trouble at the moment, and the January transfer window will be key to our hopes of enjoying a successful second half of the season.
David Moyes should be on the look-out for at least two more signings before next week’s deadline. However, there may well be one or two outgoings as well, and in my opinion, Lanzini should be one of them.
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