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Sanchez deal a bandaid rather than a real fix

By Scott Johnson

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 03: Carlos Sanchez of Colombia is challenged by Jesse Lingard of England during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Colombia and England at Spartak Stadium on July 3, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 03: Carlos Sanchez of Colombia is challenged by Jesse Lingard of England during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Colombia and England at Spartak Stadium on July 3, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) /
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West Ham are set to sign Colombian Carlos Sanchez on loan. This deal adds depth, but is not a quality fix to any real issue.

As the transfer window comes to a close there will be a few teams looking to strengthen a lot, and those looking to just add depth. Thankfully West Ham have done well in the window, so all we’re looking for is extra depth, except for in one spot. In central midfield, there is a distinct lack of depth.

The Hammers have reportedly secured the signing of Carlos Sanchez on loan, in order to try and combat that. The issue for me is, unless others are injured I don’t see him really pushing either Rice or Obiang for competition. So I don’t really see this as a positive move.

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Whilst I do understand that we’ve spent a lot elsewhere this summer, there is a genuine issue of quality in the middle. We’re only a few injuries away from being through the actual central midfielders, and the fact that it wasn’t really addressed until now is a bit of a failure in an otherwise sparkling summer.

Sanchez did not impress during his other spell in the UK, at Aston Villa, and didn’t have a particularly great World Cup. Giving away a penalty against England after getting a red card in the group stage isn’t exactly ideal. Not really what I want from a player who is going to be the last protection before the opposition gets to our defence.

What this move does do is stop us having to try and move players around to cover for injuries, or change our system. It means that, although the quality isn’t great, that it’s a simple like for like when he does need to step in. No-one else needs to adapt and there is consistency in the side.

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So whilst this signing does give us depth for a season, this only delays the issue for a while. More quality must be added in the middle of the park if the ambition of the club is to be met. A soft underbelly is not a winning component in the Premier League and West Ham must be careful going into the season.