Nayef Aguerd is still dividing opinion among West Ham fans and perhaps even more so since leaving on loan for Spain.
When Nayef Aguerd arrived from Rennes for £30m it was the most West Ham had ever spent on a defender.
Finally the Hammers had put their money where their mouth was.
Aguerd was duly injured in his first game of pre-season and ruled out for three months.
When he eventually came into the West Ham side, the Moroccan looked decent at times, particularly the slower paced European matches.
But he struggled to ever really get to grips with the rough and tumble of the Premier League.
He isn’t the first and won’t be the last on that score.
Aguerd played his part in helping the Hammers win their first major trophy for 43 years.
He was in and out of the team under David Moyes last season, though.
When Julen Lopetegui came in, the Spaniard’s first decision was to tell Kurt Zouma and Aguerd they were surplus to requirements.
Nobody questioned it at the time given West Ham had set a new unwelcome club record for goals conceded in a Premier League season of 74.
Flop Aguerd shows why West Ham let him go
The Hammers shipped Aguerd out on loan to Real Sociedad.
Meanwhile the club went out and committed £87m to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo.
West Ham’s defence was actually on course to match last season’s dismal defensive record until recently.
But all three of those signings have been or look to be quality acquisitions.
With Konstantinos Mavropanos struggling and West Ham having to rely on 35-year-old Aaron Cresswell as a centre-back at times, many have questioned the wisdom of letting Aguerd leave.
Especially given his performances for Sociedad this season.
One look at WhoScored, the world’s leading football data analysts, says everything about Aguerd.
He is officially the La Liga side’s best player this season with an average match score of just under 7/10.
Only one player in the current West Ham squad has a better score than that this season – Jarrod Bowen with 7.15.
So there is a justifiable debate to be had about whether Aguerd should be brought back into the fold this summer.
Especially with Graham Potter as manager and preferring to play with three centre-backs.
But flop Aguerd has showed why West Ham let him go and now he must be sold.
Aguerd debate settled – West Ham must recoup not recall
One swallow a summer does not make.
So Aguerd should not be hammered for one mistake.
But a costly one he made in Real Sociedad’s defeat to Real Madrid came at a good time given the debate among some fans about whether to bring him back next season.
Aguerd had a terrible habit of being rash and trying to win the ball when it was never on.
Often he would be turned, leaving the defence completely exposed and resulting in goals against the Hammers.
The slower pace of La Liga – like European football – clearly suits Aguerd.
But his old habits die hard and Aguerd did exactly the same thing against to cost his side the game in the Copa Del Rey semi-final first leg.
Video shows Aguerd miles off the pace, rushing in when he was over five yards from Brazilian star Endrick.
His reckless trait proved costly as Endrick laid the ball off and sprinted to call for a long ball over the top.
Instead of racing back, Aguerd just pointed to his defensive partner to follow Endrick, who took the ball over the top in his stride before finishing with style.
Aguerd was subbed off afterwards and it will bring it all screaming back for West Ham fans watching.
It is great that Aguerd has been doing well overall in La Liga.
That means West Ham may be able to fetch a more reasonable price for him come the summer.
But make no mistake, sell him they must.
The Hammers have already admitted money is tight and sales will be needed to fund signings.
Aguerd has just provided a timely reminder that – in those circumstances – he’s more valuable to the club as a saleable asset than he would be back in the claret and blue alongside Todibo and Kilman.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
