Stunning news is emerging from West Ham today after Graham Potter’s decision on a £30m star was leaked.
Two West Ham players have had their futures made perfectly clear to them by Graham Potter this week.
The new Hammers boss has had the last two months to assess his squad.
Performances and results have improved but there is still a long way to go.
Potter has always preferred to work with a young, dynamic squad.
At West Ham he has inherited the oldest collection of players anywhere in the Premier League.
So big changes will need to be made in the summer to truly shape the squad how Potter wants it.
West Ham have been at pains to make clear money is going to be tight.
The Hammers plan to raise over £100m in player sales to fund signings.
Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta – providing he is absolved in the case against him – Niclas Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez and Emerson Palmieri are just some of the players who are expected to be moved on if buyers can be found.
Potter’s shocking decision on £30m star leaked
Another player who looked like being a sure bet to bring some much-needed funds in is Nayef Aguerd.
When Aguerd arrived from Rennes for £30m less than three years ago it was the most West Ham had ever spent on a defender.
Jean-Clair Todibo at £32m and Max Kilman at £40m have eclipsed that since.
West Ham spent a combined £72m on the duo because Aguerd and co had been so bad the season before.
Aguerd was part of West Ham’s worst ever Premier League defence last season as it shipped 74 goals.
The Moroccan international struggled to ever really get to grips with the speed and physicality of the English game.
The Hammers shipped Aguerd out on loan to Real Sociedad where the slower paced, less physical La Liga has suited him.
One look at WhoScored proves as much with Aguerd officially being Sociedad’s best player this season with an average match score of just under 7/10.
Only Jarrod Bowen of the current West Ham squad has a better score than Aguerd this season – with 7.15.
Aguerd’s loan success looked set to raise vital funds for Hammers
Aguerd’s improved form was seen as a positive back in east London as it was helping to drum up interest for a summer transfer.
The likes of Real Madrid and Man United have even been linked.
West Ham could certainly do with the money having been linked with a number of centre-backs since Potter’s arrival, including Southampton’s young England star Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Now Potter’s shocking decision on the £30m star has been leaked and it could backfire on West Ham.
According to a club source speaking to Sean Whetstone, Potter wants Aguerd back at West Ham next season.
As a result, the club insider claims West Ham are insisting they will reject any offers for Aguerd this summer.
It is also claimed West Ham will be watching Aguerd closely when he plays against Man United twice in the Europa League over the next week.
Potter’s bold Aguerd call could backfire on West Ham
“We want Nayef Aguerd back playing for West Ham now that we are using three centre-backs,” the West Ham source told Whetstone.
“Our new manager rates him.”
While Aguerd is wanted by Potter, this makes it clear to Konstantinos Mavropanos that he will be surplus to requirements.
Of course there is a justifiable debate to be had about whether Aguerd should be brought back into the fold this summer.
Especially as the manager prefers to play with three centre-backs.
But it was only last week that Aguerd showed why West Ham let him go in the first place.
While the defender should not be hammered for one mistake, it proved a costly one against Real Madrid.
Aguerd had a terrible habit of being far too rash and stepping out of defence to try and win the ball when it was never on.
Aguerd proved he’s not up to it, Hammers must sell and reinvest
Often he would be turned, leaving him in no man’s land, the defence completely exposed and the oppositions scoring against the Hammers.
Aguerd did exactly the same thing against Madrid to cost his side in the Copa Del Rey semi-final first leg.
Those talking up Aguerd’s return with short memories.
An experienced international defender, who turns 29 this month, should not be making those kind of errors at this stage of their career.
Aguerd’s reading of the game is nowhere near the required level to cope with the pace and intensity of Premier League football.
He has already proved that in his first two seasons with West Ham.
Potter would be much better off selling Aguerd while his stock is high and reinvesting his money in a top young emerging defender like Harwood-Bellis.
Bringing Aguerd back is a risk because if he does indeed struggle again, West Ham will be back at square one with no money to do anything about it.
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