Summer talk of West Ham trying to sell Michail Antonio for just £15m now seems beyond farcical

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Michail Antonio’s importance to West Ham has never seemed more prevalent than it is at the moment.

The 29-year-old joined the Hammers in the summer of 2015 from Nottingham Forest for £7 million.

Click HERE to read: ‘Get rid immediately’, ‘Wow’: Some West Ham fans can’t believe what Pellegrini just said

And he has gone on to be a real fan favourite at the London Stadium.

Antonio missed three months of the season from August after suffering a serious hamstring injury. He returned to action two weeks ago, however, and made an instant impact.

The West Ham forward, who earns £70,000 per week according to Spotrac, then missed their midweek game at Wolves, and it was painfully obvious just how reliant Manuel Pellegrini’s side are on the powerful 29-year-old.

So taking all of that into consideration, it is unbelievable to think that the Hammers were prepared to sell Antonio for just £15 million in the summer (Sky Sports).

In fact, it’s beyond farcical.

Crystal Palace were mentioned as potential suitors for the former Forest man. And had West Ham sold him for just £15 million, that would now look like a glaring error.

Thank god they kept hold of Antonio.

He has been one of the few shining lights of an otherwise horrendous season thus far.

If the Hammers are to enjoy a successful campaign, they will need the pacy Englishman to remain fit between now and May.

It could be argued that he is indispensable to West Ham. Or at the very least, worth well in excess of double what the east London outfit were reportedly prepared to sell him for in the summer.