Transfer rumors are swirling ominously around our talisman Manuel Lanzini following the fall out from the Neymar saga. Liverpool have hinted that should they lose their talisman, our little Argentine would be top of their transfer list. After seeing Neymar head to PSG for a mind blowing €200M, many of us began to worry that the chain reaction had been set in motion. However, with sources close to club reporting that Lanzini is satisfied at the club, should we relax a little more?
It seems that Barcelona’s wish list contains a number of names including Ousmane Dembele, Dele Ali and Philippe Coutinho. Whilst this shouldn’t bother us at a first glance, we may want to hope that Dembele or Ali are top of this list. Liverpool have been a well-known admirer of Lanzini since he arrived two seasons ago. Our owners have stated that we’re no longer a selling club but after the Payet saga, people may still have concerns. Payet and his agent demonstrated how to hold the club to ransom and negotiate an exit. Hopefully, nobody else was taking note within the changing room. In truth, Lanzini would be a perfect replacement for Coutinho. They can both through the left and middle, they are both small, agile and both can score wonderful goals. However, like Coutinho at Liverpool, Lanzini is vital to West Ham. Lanzini is the beating heart of our creativity and consistently seeks to bring the ball from deep. Currently, we have very few players of that ilk that can produce moments of magic. Filling Payet’s boots was always going to be a tough ask but Lanzini has stepped into the role seamlessly. He enjoys the limelight and scoring goals in the claret and blue.
The most reassuring factor amongst the rumours is that Lanzini is settled and loves being a part of the club. I’ve even heard that his dad watches every game from the stands with the fans! Although there is mixed news, strong sources have suggested that a new deal for the midfielder is imminent. A contract worth £80,000-a-week should surely settle any doubts regarding the player’s foreseeable future. Liverpool has also issued a hands off to Barcelona but that rarely intimidates the Spanish giants. Bigger clubs have tried and failed over the years to ward off their interest. A deal worth a reported €100M could possibly capture in the Reds interest. We need now more than ever to stand by our player and not only keep hold but re-literate Lanzini’s importance in our side.
In the end, there’s no smoke without fire and we should be wary of envious eyes as we begin to improve our side. Lanzini is no doubt the crown jewel in our midfield and should be treated as such. I’m eagerly anticipating the news of a new contract within the coming days that should hopefully extinguish any embers of doubt in my mind over our little Argentines future.