West Ham are in a bit of a strange place right now. But one question that needs answering this January is about Sofiane Feghouli? Do we stick with him or sell him on?
There’s been a lot of stick recently for the signins West Ham made in the summer. We did a review ourselves, and most of it isn’t pretty. Sofiane Feghouli was one of the signings reviewed harshly, which is fair given his poor start.
However recently, due to injuries, players going on strike and the AFCON he has had his chance. Now after scoring his first Premier League goal for the side, only his second since he joined in the summer, many are calling for a rethink on selling him.
Stick
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Well there are numerous reasons to stick with a player like Feghouli. First off, he has experience in top leagues and has done well at European competition level. Players like Feghouli are worth keeping around the West Ham side, even if not as first team material.
His speed and tricky dribbling do offer a solid alternative. Antonio is a raw player but Feghouli can be a great addition on the opposite wing. Someone like Ayew ill look to get into the box more often, whereas Feghouli is a classic mould winger.
As such, Feghouli would do well serving a big man like Andy Carroll. In many of his games so far the big striker has been injured, and as such the partnership hasn’t been there. However it is no surprise that Feghouli’s best game has come once Carroll had returned. There is a lot of potential there to be unleashed.
Sell
On the other hand, 12m for a player we got for free in the summer would be good business. It would fund our moves for other players, maybe some that would help replace the wantaway Payet or have more Premier League experience?
The winger West Ham are supposedly chasing is Robert Snodgrass from Hull. they are very different players, with Snodgrass’ effectiveness coming from his game intelligence and skill with a dead ball. He is likely to cost less than Feghouli as well, so maybe a profit from this trade would be worth it?
Next: Will Carroll form slow down striker search?
Snodgrass is older than Feghouli, and it depends what game Slaven Bilic wants to play. If we sign a pacey striker then Snodgrass would be a good bet, given his preference to sit off the front line. However if we stick with Andy Carroll or another target man, then Feghouli should be the option. Pace cannot be underestimated in the Premier League and we can’t be left short.
What would you do? Let us know in the comments below!