West Ham: Loan move for Andriy Yarmolenko? Not so fast!

Rumors have emerged regarding West Ham’s Andriy Yarmolenko and a potential loan move pushed through in the January window. Not only does this not make sense, but it is also a waste of a great player at the club. Here’s why.

Not in the squad since David Moyes has taken over at West Ham, Andriy Yarmolenko seemingly is on the outs with his new manager without having a chance to prove himself just yet. As an out-and-out winger (under Pellegrini) Yarmolenko lives and dies with his left boot, but that doesn’t really fit the Moyes system as it stands now.

So, what is next for the Ukranian forward? Rumors are whipping up of Yarmolenko being sent out on loan to free up wage money in January. While the story fits the general feeling around the board and their cheapness, this isn’t necessarily needed at the club. Here’s why.

The Hammers currently have two out-and-out strikers at the club – Sebastien Haller and Albian Ajeti. For the Ukranian international team, Yarmolenko plays striker in, usually, a dual striker system. Case closed. Pretty simple, right?

Only for one game has Yarmolenko featured as a striker for West Ham. It came in the Hammers’ 1-0 loss to wolves last September. He blew out his Achilles four matches later and returned to his right-wing spot after his rehabbing. Why not give him a chance as a centre-forward now, though?

Yes, he has been injured, but if he’s good enough to lead the line for Ukraine as they play and beat Portugal to earn a spot in Euro 2020 why is he not good enough to play striker for West Ham? It doesn’t make sense!

The Hammers new set up under Moyes is a 3-5-2 and it eliminates the forward winger positions in order to accommodate wing-backs and a dual striker system. That is completely fine because as a striker in a dual-striker system Yarmolenko can be the rangey shooter we’ve lacked for a long time. As well, his slick dribbling skills make him an asset in the opposition’s boss, while his passing is underrated as well!

Before we ship out a career-long prolific player, why not try to get the most out of him? With Michail Antonio on the mend but injury-prone, Albian Ajeti an after-thought in the team, and Felipe Anderson more usable elsewhere than at striker, Yarmolenko isn’t just spare parts at West Ham.