West Ham United have had a topsy-turvy season thus far, but have made good progress under Manuel Pellegrini.
It was always going to be a difficult start for the Hammers considering the fixtures they had initially, and the new faces the club signed in the summer.
Although the team has been inconsistent, we could get to see a much more cohesive unit with Manuel Lanzini, Felipe Anderson, and Marko Arnautovic playing together next season.
The Hammers have another crucial summer transfer window coming up, and regardless of where they finish in the table, here are three players they need to sell and sign better players come the summer.
#3 Carlos Sanchez
A 33-year old back-up choice who isn’t really reliable; it doesn’t make much sense to keep Sanchez considering he has played very little and will take longer to adjust to the set-up if the club decide to keep him.
Sanchez has a contract until 2020, so West Ham will get a little money for him. But if the club are to move forward, they’ll need to quickly get rid of the deadwood and sign better players.
#2 Angelo Ogbonna
Ogbonna’s performances have gotten better of late, but he’s still one player who can come up with a 7/10 performance on one day, and flatter to deceive on another.
When he first arrived, Ogbonna looked like a player who had good pace for a centre-half, and was an absolute monster when it came to aerial and physical duels. But, his positional awareness isn’t the best, and his passing isn’t the strongest either.
The Italian’s hasn’t been able to impress consistently, and with the likes of Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena and Winston Reid set to be available next season, it’s best West Ham sell Ogbonna and reinvest the money on a younger centre-half that Pellegrini can integrate slowly into the first team.
#1 Jack Wilshere
There was a lot of optimism around West Ham when the Wilshere signed for the club. The England international came with a lot of pedigree, and was immediately offered £100,000 in weekly wages and signed a contract until the summer of 2021.
However, the enthusiasm quickly faded away as not only did he struggle in midfield, but it wasn’t long before he picked up his first injury with the club.
The former Arsenal man hasn’t featured for the Hammers since December, and has made just five appearances for the club so far this season.
The troublesome ankle injury doesn’t seem to go away for Wilshere who is an extremely gifted footballer. But considering the past few seasons, you just know his season will be troubled by injuries.
Is there really any point for West ham to keep him? If an offer comes in, the Hammers should try and offload Wilshere even though it’s barely been a year since he signed.
