West Ham target Gary Medel was shown a straight red card after an altercation with Lionel Messi. Both players were sent off in the first half of the Copa America third-place play-off.
The Hammers have been chasing Medel, alongside Chilean team-mate Guillermo Maripan, for a while now. The first links were back in January (Sky Sports News) and West Ham have since reignited their interest (Fanatik).
But West Ham should think twice after Medel’s antics. Medel lost his head and fully deserved his red card during Argentina’s 2-1 win over Chile in the Copa America.
Gary Medel and Lionel Messi sent off
Argentina started the game quickly, racing into a two-goal lead. Sergio Aguero and Pablo Dybala both netted early on. But things turned sour on 37 minutes as Medel and Messi clashed.
It all started fairly innocuously as Messi nudged Medel as he was heading out of play. Medel took exception to this, though, and retaliated by leaning his head towards Messi’s face and charging at the Barcelona star.
While Messi merely stood his ground, Medel kept coming and bumped Messi several times before the referee intervened.
Messi’s red card was his first in 14 years, since his Argentina debut but this was not an uncommon occurrence for Medel. And the game ended 2-1 as Arturo Vidal scored a second-half penalty, which proved to be a consolation goal.
West Ham should avoid Gary Medel at all costs
This incident should convince West Ham to avoid Medel this summer. His nickname is ‘The Pitbull‘ after developing a reputation for tenacity in midfield. But sometimes that can overspill into a hot-headed rage, making him a liability.
Medel is now into his 30s, will be on fairly sizeable wages at Besiktas and will not be a regular starter for the Irons. Mario Husillos and Manuel Pellegrini clearly rate the Chilean defender but his questionable temperament should put them off.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
