Would West Ham be wise in selling Chelsea target?

Rumours linking West Ham striker Enner Valencia with a big money move to league leaders Chelsea unsurprisingly came to nothing.

But amidst the usual levels of arbitrary transfer chat, the suggestion the 25-year-old Ecuador striker was wanted in a £20million move was one of the more surprising stories of the month-long merry-go-round.

Despite being heralded as the star summer signing six months ago, Valencia has been somewhat overshadowed by the performances of the fellow new recruits.

After an impressive World Cup tournament, there was pressure for the pacey striker to hit the ground running.

He would probably admit he has not reached the heights expected of him, and although he has scored a few important and impressive goals, he has generally flattered to deceive.

It does take time to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League, and his proven ability suggests he will eventually find his feet.

But given the fact he is has not displayed his free flowing best makes it even more surprisingJose Mourinho was interested in taking him to West London.

Surely the Chelsea boss would not want to bring in someone already proven to struggle at this level?

No doubt Chelsea had money to spend during the latest window, given the £27millionsigning of Juan Cuadrado, but it seemed unlikely the club would pay a mark-up on an, as of yet, unproven player.

Some media have already reported Mourinho will be back in for Valencia during the summer transfer window.

By then, if the striker has shown he has settled and is performing better more regularly, then it would be a real loss to the squad.

But on current merit, the club may well fancy cashing in an £8million profit, and reinvesting it in other targets.

With that sort of money, Sam Allardyce and the board could continue their rebuilding work, and ensure the sort of progress demonstrated at the start of the season is replicated.