West Ham should take the January transfer window extremely seriously in 2019 not only to add reinforcements to their current squad but to free up funds to bring in new players. Unfortunately, this includes a certain player who has never really string it together for West Ham.
The player is Javier Hernandez, and like it or not West Ham should cash in on the internationally renowned striker by shipping him out in January. It’s hard news to hear after West Ham were searching for a proven Premier League striker for years but Chicharito has failed to make an impact and is often injured when he would have a chance.
The Stats:
In 2017/18 Chicharito had ample opportunity to stake a claim as the first choice striker. Throughout the season he missed six matches over two instances for injury. In this time period, Slaven Bilic was sacked and David Moyes took over. This is also when Arnautovic was moved to striker and the season was effectively saved at Chicharito’s expense. Here are his 2017/18 stats:
Games: 33 (all competitions)
Starts: 19
Unused sub: 4 times
Goals: 8
Assists: 1
So far this season there has been no room for him in the team. He returned late from Mexico’s extended World Cup run but hit the ground running in the preseason, scoring in his first appearance. Since then he has had a very limited impact on the first team which he is currently away from with glandular fever. Here are his 2018 stats:
Games: 5 (all competitions)
Starts: 2
Goals: 1
Assists: 1 (won a penalty)
Does he have value?
Yes, despite his poor numbers in a West Ham uniform Chicharito still has value. However, any value you try to extract from moving Chicharito will revolve around where he goes. There are two places that would maximize his value would be Liga MX in Mexico and the MLS in Canada and the United States.
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Liga MX makes sense historically. Chicharito came up with the Guadalajara U20 team and eventually moved to Chivas in 2006. He would play at Chivas for four years before heading across the Atlantic to become Manchester United’s striker.
At 30 years of age, he no longer has the appeal to Premier League teams especially since he hasn’t been able to recapture the form of his younger years. However, there is the possibility that a Liga MX team would happily welcome back their international hero who would likely still be extremely effective in the Mexican league.
Outside of Mexico, the MLS is another and probably the best option to maximize Chicharito’s transfer value. With the World Cup fresh in North American’s minds the enigmatic Little Pea from Mexico defeating Germany is enough of an underdog story to endear him to the mass of growing football supporters in the New World.
He would follow in the footsteps of recent Premier League transfers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney. Both are big-name players like Chicharito, both have European success like Chicharito, and most importantly both are center forward strikers like Chicharito.
How could West Ham replace him?
One out, one in was the policy West Ham’s board and Manuel Pellegrini adopted in the summer transfer window but it doesn’t necessarily have to be followed in this instance. Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll are both striker options that provide different play styles from each other. Perez offers that Chicharito, fox in the box style of play while adding more speed than the Mexican player has. While Carroll is the aerial threat target man they have relied on for so long.
Perez cannot offer what Arnautovic does up top in physically holding up play. Where he is effective over Chicharito, however, is in his ability to play both wings effectively. If Arnie were to go down with an injury and West Ham needed a 45+ minute replacement Perez is the perfect void filler.
Carroll is more of what Arnautovic is, without all the hustle. Carroll’s biggest attribute is obviously his size for aerial battles but he is very underrated with his feet and can hold up play by himself fairly well. He is essentially a plan b for West Ham who can throw him in to close out a game in search of a headed ball.
With a few options that provide as much or more than Chicharito does in the team, he becomes expendable. He’s under contract until 2020 so his value will never be as high as it currently is. It’s sad but true – its time to sell Chicharito.