According to a report from TyC Sports, West Ham had a loan-to-buy offer rejected for River Plate right-back Gonzalo Montiel a couple of days ago, and some Hammers fans have taken to Twitter in reaction to the news.
TyC Sports claims that the offer from the east London outfit was an original £400,000 loan fee with an option to buy for £8.4 million in the summer.
Right-back is clearly an area where the Hammers need to improve. Pablo Zabaleta is well past his best. And he is leaving in the summer anyway.
Ryan Fredericks, meanwhile, is currently injured. But even before he was forced to the sidelines with a hamstring problem, he quite simply wasn’t delivering.
The 27-year-old possesses pace in abundance, but he just doesn’t use it to good effect. His attacking output is very poor, with just two assists and no goals in 18 appearances for West Ham this season (Transfermarkt).
Compare that to Liverpool’s right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has racked up a superb 10 assists and two goals in 23 Premier League games this term (Transfermarkt).
West Ham really do need more of attacking threat from right-back, considering that their wingers are not producing in the final third.
Is Montiel the type of player West Ham need, however?
The problem is that 23-year-old has hardly been pulling up trees from an attacking perspective either. He has no goals and just one assist in 12 outings for River Plate this season (Transfermarkt).
The 23-year-old is a very solid defender, however, as the following stats provided by Who Scored suggest.
The Argentine has averaged 2.1 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game for River this season. He has also won an average of 1.5 aerial duals in the 12 league games he has played.
So what do West Ham fans make of the links with Montiel?
Some took to Twitter in reaction to the report suggesting that the Hammers have had a bid rejected for the right-back…
Wow I can’t believe that they refused such a pathetic offer
— Stuart Dillon (@StuartDillon1) January 23, 2020
embarrassing club
— Stephen George Lott (@stephenlott) January 25, 2020
Loan with an option to buy: how do people resist out offers. Its boringly predictable. Do they employ Ian Blackford?
— Paul Anderson (@PaulAndersonNE6) January 23, 2020
River plate needs money. Lending the player wont do much. River much rather sell him than be left with a defensive hole, and a measly 500k with hopes of a future buy. Some team will pay the full amount. Its that simple.
— Dennis Sanchez (@danilitos) January 24, 2020
I truly cant believe that owners think that loans deals for clubs best players are even likely to be looked at. What is the point. The reality of our situation is that we now must take risks and buy players who can help us survive and ideally build into the team long term.🤡🤡🤡
— Toby Gould (@samizgould) January 23, 2020
😂😂😂can’t even afford €10 mill pathetic
— will earle (@willearle_) January 23, 2020
Rubbish! He won’t sign because he’s been told he’ll be on -50% Wages if we get Relegated. So why should he sign??
— Ian (@IanGravett) January 23, 2020
Obviously it’s been rejected:
They only want a permanent deal, and we’ve offered a loan.
They want 25m for him, we’ve offered 10m.
Sullivan is honestly the biggest clown going, dragging our reputation through the mud 🤡
— James Gunn (@jamesgunn_) January 23, 2020
This loan shite is becoming like the bloke in the pub who tells the same joke every time your go in… pic.twitter.com/97tgEhXoEv
— Nick Baker (@nichothetwit) January 23, 2020
He don’t get it .. no one wants to deal with our tight fisted troll
— KJ (@KJO59) January 23, 2020