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Handing West Ham striker a new deal is a questionable choice

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West Ham have struggled this season to keep their head above water, much as they did last term, and the Hammers have failed to find a man capable of leading their line- with the decision to partner Andy Carroll with Javier Hernandez limiting the Mexican striker’s influence.

The summer signing has scored three goals in seven games, a decent return, but his efforts have been overshadowed due to the fact he’s yet to score in a meaningful result- scoring twice in the defeat to Southampton, then again in the loss to Tottenham.

Carroll, despite his regular appearances, is yet to find the net this season and Diafra Sakho became the man of the moment last time out with a last-gasp winner against Swansea City, a result that merely papered over the cracks and gave Slaven Bilic a bit more room to breath.

Despite all that, reports have now surfaced fromĀ The Daily MailĀ that indicate Sakho could be set to be offered a new deal in East London- a decision that’s certainly controversial, given that he’s managed just 17 Premier League goals in 54 appearances.

That sort of total is not the sort of numbers that a club like West Ham will be looking for. Those numbers would perhaps be decent for a side looking to keep their head above water but are certainly not good enough for a West Ham side who are looking to climb up the Premier League standings and return to European involvement.

West Ham, given their current struggles, will almost certainly look to bolster their attacking ranks in the January transfer window or next summer. Should that happen, Sakho would be pushed further down the pecking order- so it begs questions as to why West Ham would make such a move.

Sakho staying doesn’t strengthen their squad, nor does it send a strong message out to the side. Mediocrity isn’t good enough for West Ham, yet a new deal for Sakho would certainly be rewarding exactly that. Should Sakho hit double figures, or secure further valuable points in bigger matches, then a renewal should perhaps be discussed.

Now is certainly not the time, especially as West Ham have plenty of work to do on the field. Judging by the performances so far, not one player deserves a reward. They need hard love to push forward, otherwise West Ham will stagnate.

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