West Ham-owned Nikola Vlasic was on form for Croatia last night during their 3-1 win away at Austria in the Nation’s League.
The 24-year-old left the London Stadium to link up with Serie A outfit Torino on a season-long loan in the summer transfer window.
READ…Supposedly positive Aguerd injury claim by West Ham insider its actually very bad news
Italian publication Calciomercato claim that the Italian side have an option to buy Vlasic for just €15 million (£13.5 million) next year.
Vlasic is obviously very comfortable with Torino and has bagged three goals in seven outings for his club so far (Transfermarkt).
With every week that passes, it seems like West Ham boss David Moyes has made a really bad decision and handled Vlasic terribly. His performance on the international stage last night lent further credence to that notion…
Nikola Vlasic on fire for Croatia
The 24-year-old former CSKA Moscow ace made his 41st appearance for his country last night.
And he ‘capped’ it off in style with a tremendous assist for Luka Modric:
That really is class from Vlasic.
The way that he cuts in from the right hand side with ace and power demonstrated what he is really capable of. W just didn’t see him do that in the Claret and Blue.
We never got to see the Croatian in full flow during his time at the London Stadium, despite the odd glimpse of brilliance from the 24-year-old.
One thing’s for sure, David Moyes never played him in his correct position, just in behind the striker.
Instead, Moyes chose to deploy him out on the left wing mostly – a position that renders him totally ineffective due to his lack of pace.
Nikola Vlasic is proving with Torino and Croatia that he is an exceptionally talented attacking player, and he clearly has a lot to offer at the very highest level.
In my personal opinion, Vlasic just wasn’t suited to the physically robust and intense nature of Premier League football. I’ve got to give it to him though, he is slowly starting to change my mind with his fantastic performances for club and country.
Maybe West Ham boss Moyes did make a huge mistake by letting him leave in the summer.
Only time will tell with that though.
Read also:
Time for Moyes to bite the bullet and start 29-year-old West Ham ace every single week
Belgium international leaves door open to joining West Ham on a free transfer in 2023
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
