OPINION
West Ham might not feel like they’ve had a lucky escape over their potential pursuit of Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney but when they look back the club will appreciate missing out on him.
It was previously reported by the Evening Standard, ahead of Fulham’s play-off final against Aston Villa, that the Hammers were very keen on signing the 27-year-old attacking midfielder.
The newspaper claimed that the outcome of Saturday’s game could play a factor, which seems extremely likely, and as Cairney’s side won the play-off final it seems a move for him is off the cards.
While some may be disappointed to hear that, considering the plaudits he receives and the fact he scored the only goal on Saturday, the Hammers are lucky to miss out.
Cairney may have spectacularly shone in some of his 37 appearances for the Cottagers this season, but a lot of his displays were disappointing due to knee issues.
These knee problems kept him out of several games but also affected his performances in a lot of the games he was passed fit for.
These sort of injury issues always have a tendency to resurface and if his knees are starting to cause him problems at the age of 27-years-old, there is a genuine risk to investing in his services.
Especially when it’s a big money move, £20million was thought to be his price tag if Fulham failed to get up, as stated by the Daily Mirror, and that’s no doubt the lowest price they would take for him now after Saturday’s outcome.
Therefore West Ham have been handed a lucky escape by having an opportunity not to welcome Cairney to the London Stadium as they were reportedly set to make a blunder by considering splashing the cash on him.
