ExWHUemployee has claimed that Fabian Balbuena faces an uncertain future at West Ham United.
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Balbuena joined the Hammers from Corinthians in the summer of 2018, for a fee believed to be worth £6.5 million, according to Sky Sports.
The Paraguay international made a fine start to life at the London Stadium but his form dropped off last season.
The 29-year-old returned to somewhere near his best this term when he forced his way back into the side after Issa Diop was ruled out for two weeks with Covid.
Balbuena now finds himself well down the centre-back pecking order at West Ham once again, however, with Craig Dawson really impressing and Diop returning to form.
ExWHUemployee provides Fabian Balbuena update
The former Corinthians ace is out of contract at the London Stadium in the summer.
And ExWHUemployee suggested that Balbuena’s situation is very much up in the air at the moment, when speaking on the West Ham Way podcast last night (Wednesday February 24th):
“The situation with Balbuena is a little bit up in the air last time I checked. He wasn’t sure if he would get or sign a new contract. He has slipped down to fourth or fifth choice centre-back. With the likes of Alves and Baptiste and people like that coming through, it might mean that he won’t get a new contract.”
Balbuena, who earns £38k-a-week at West Ham according to WT Foot, will be looking for one final big contract.
The Paraguay international is fast approaching 30. Whether the Hammers will be prepared to commit to a two or three-year deal for the centre-back remains to be seen. Much will depend on what happens with Craig Dawson.
If the Hammers sign the defender permanently from Watford, it will surely be in Balbuena’s best interest to move on at the end of the season.
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