Fabian Balbuena arrived at West Ham from Corinthians in the summer of 2018 for a fee believed to be worth around £6.5 million, according to Sky Sports.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign in the Premier League. Baluena, affectionately known as ‘The General’, displayed all of the qualities needed to succeed in England.
He was strong in the air, robust in the challenge, and he seemed to relish the physical battle.
So what has happened to the Paraguay international this season?
Balbuena started the first game of the season for the Hammers against Manchester City. And he was quite simply woeful. West Ham lost the game 5-0 and the 28-year-old was one of the worst players on the pitch.
The Paraguay international has only played one Premier League game since then, and that was a one minute cameo appearance away at Aston Villa.
One potential reason for his decline could be the busy summer he experienced with Paraguay in the Copa America.
Balbuena played four games for his country in June, and that might have just taken its toll on him.
Another explanation could be the unexplained phenomenon of the second season syndrome.
Perhaps expectations for Balbuena were just too high. And perhaps he needs to be given more grace by the media and the club’s fans.
He has demonstrated how good he is. And now he just has to re-focus, work hard, and force his way back into West Ham starting line-up
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