It remains to be seen how long the Nuno Espirito Santo era at West Ham United lasts but for as long as it does, Max Kilman will likely not form part of it.
For many West Ham United fans, that will hardly be a big deal.
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Indeed, Kilman has struggled since joining West Ham and is often seen as the symbol of a flawed recruitment policy.
Kilman has rarely looked like a £40million defender and that price tag has been used as a stick to beat him with.
Now, some insight into how Nuno feels about him has emerged.
Kilman’s long-term future at West Ham looks bleak
According to The Athletic, Nuno does not trust the former Wolves defender.
That much was obvious when Nuno overlooked Kilman in favour of Freddie Potts when Jean-Clair Todibo got injured minutes before West Ham played against Aston Villa.
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Rather than swapping in Kilman in a like-for-like change, the Irons coach opted to completely change system only a few minutes before the game.
The report goes on to add that Kilman might have played his last game for Nuno at West Ham, describing his long-term future at the club as “bleak”.
Whether that also means he’s done so for the club as a whole remains to be seen.
The problem that West Ham have with Max Kilman
Blaming Kilman alone for West Ham’s defensive problems since his arrival is hugely unfair.
Though he has hardly covered himself in glory, he can do little about the price tag involved in the deal to sign him from Wolves.
Still, the major issue is what West Ham can do with him now. His market value has surely tanked. Crystal Palace were interested in Kilman in January but decided not to sign him, and it seems unlikely that another club would be raring to save him from this nightmare.
With years to go on his contract, it’s hard to see a way out right now.
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