Arthur Masuaku, West Ham United’s new utility man?

Masuaku has had a mixed time since arriving at West Ham United four years ago from greek side Olympiacos F.C.

The left-back position for West Ham was their weakest position last season. Aaron Cresswell has seen his form plummet over the last couple of seasons. The Englishman has used to be a brilliant player for the club but ever since a bad injury in 2016, he has not been the same. This injury is what prompted the transfer for Masuaku from Greece.

As a very divisive figure amongst fans, Arthur Masuaku is as capable of a fantastic performance as he is destroying a positive result. The DR Congo international has had some brilliant games of form for West Ham, against Chelsea in 2017 he was phenomenal, playing in his favoured left-wing-back position, the blues could not get close to him. Masuaku completed 11 take-ons‘ in the match, since that day he has shown glimpses of this talent at times.

The biggest concern surrounding Masuaku’s position at the club is when he is deployed as a left-back. The 26-year-old can be erratic at times, and this trait has cost the club on a couple of occasions. Most recently it cost the club all three points against Brighton. The seagulls scored two late goals following Masuaku’s defensive failures. These mistakes are the reason why it would be feasible for the club to cash in on the defender to raise funds for transfers this summer.

Despite these issues in Masuaku’s game, and he was not sold this summer, there is still some hope to see the best of the player. The 26-year-old is still relatively young and does possess some brilliant technical skill. There is a belief that he could be a very useful winger.

The Hammer’s have also struggled creatively from the left-side. Felipe Anderon struggled to recapture his form of 2018-2019, and Pablo Fornals lacked the pace to be effective on the wing. The traits needed for this position is pace, dribbling ability and crossing something that Fornals and Anderson were lacking.

Masuaku has all three of these skills, plus a rocket of a left-foot that has unfortunately only been utilised once against Bolton. A move up the pitch could see him become an excellent option for David Moyes next season. This ability to play in multiple positions could make Masuaku a great utility player for the Hammers.