FIVE players West Ham should cash in on

With Premier League survival all but confirmed this campaign for West Ham, thoughts will inevitably turn to this summer’s transfer window. For the Hammers to continue their stability in the top division, and progress as a team, then they need some astute signings.

It was evident how much the overall squad needs improving, as when injuries hit in the earlier part of the campaign, the club really struggled. We really need to ensure this does not happen again. However, for better quality players to come into West Ham, inevitably will require certain players to be sold to free up money for such transfers, particularly with the Financial Fair Play regulations soon to be in effect.

Here are five players in the current squad the Hammers could cash in on.

Modibo Maiga

Bit of a no brainer this one. Since signing for 5 million pounds in the summer of 2012, Maiga has had limited game time at the club, and has generally failed to impress when he has played aside from a couple memorable moments.

A goal record of three in 31 appearances in the Premier League tells a story, and the fact that he cannot even get in QPR’s team at the moment, who he is currently on loan to, provides greater evidence that he is not cut out for English football.

Clearly we would be making a significant loss on the striker were we to sell but we may as well cut our losses on him. But he will always be fondly remembered for that winner at White Hart Lane in the Capital One Cup quarter-final this season!

Ravel Morrison

I know many would disagree with the sale of the talented Morrison, but frankly, I have come to the conclusion that he is not worth the trouble that he brings with him. Although he began the season reasonably well, the performances tailed off as the campaign went on, and Morrison become virtually anonymous in most matches. Worse still he had an arrogant streak in him that meant that he would prefer to try and showcase his abilities rather than pass to a better positioned team-mate for example. Personally, I think he has lived off his solo goal against Tottenham Hotspur for far too long.

Off the pitch there appears to have been a return to the problems of the youngster’s attitude and temperament. Of course we only hear stories in the media, and can only guess at how much truth is in them, but it became apparent that Morrison was starting to fall out with fellow players and the coaching staff alike. Certainly you get the impression that he isn’t the sort of character you want in the dressing room when the rest of your teammates are fighting a relegation battle.

So, whilst some Hammers fans may be getting excited because Morrison has managed to score a few goals for QPR in the Championship against the likes of Yeovil, with a year left on his contract, I think we should be prepared to sell for the right price. Anything around the 5 million mark should be seriously considered.

Matt Jarvis

Jarvis seems like an honest and hard working footballer. Unfortunately he has not been able to show enough quality to his play consistently during his time at the club. Therefore, I think the club should be prepared to sell Jarvis, despite the inevitable financial loss likely to be made on the winger, if it means making room for a better replacement to be signed. One name that springs to mind would be Adam Johnson, who could well become available were Sunderland to be relegated. Ideally, I would like to keep Jarvis as a back up in that situation, but that would depend on the financial state of the club.

Ricardo Vaz Te

I am a fan of Vaz Te, as he is a player that is different from many others in the squad, in that he can suddenly produce a piece of magic out of nowhere, or do something unpredictable that can cause the opposition problems. However, despite signing a contract extension in January, I am not convinced that he fully remains in Sam Allardyce’s plans.

The club tried to offload the Portuguese player in the summer, and only seemingly begrudgingly played the forward for a few matches before he picked up his shoulder injury. Very little has been heard of Vaz Te since, and although he is supposed to be back in training, has still not made it to any match day squad lately – this, despite not having a plethora of striking options in the squad.

I hope I am wrong, but if the manager doesn’t particularly want to use him, then we may as well cash in on the Play-off final hero while we have the chance. He will be fondly remembered by many fans however, as he contributed a lot to the club in his time at Upton Park.

Stephen Henderson

The Irish goalkeeper was signed permanently by West Ham from Portsmouth in 2012, but still dosen’t look any closer to making a challenge for the No. 1 position. Adrian San Miguel has instead now made that position his own, with Jussi Jasskelainen second choice and Raphael Spiegel the other goalkeeper on the books.

Henderson has spent much of his time at Upton Park either injured or on loan to Championship clubs, where he hasn’t particularly stood out. With Jaaskelainen most probably about to retire this summer, West Ham will more than likely be on the look out for a decent back up keeper for the in form Adrian, as it appears unlikely Henderson will be able to make that jump. If we can sell him in the summer the extra money may come in useful in the acquisition of a new goalkeeper.