OPINION
West Ham paying £10million to sign striker Jordan Hugill from Preston North End in January is one of the most bizarre Premier League signings in recent times.
The 26-year-old marksman has since played just three times for the Hammers, never really being given a chance at all to stake his claim at the London Stadium.
And, with Manuel Pellegrini on the hunt for another striker in the closing days of the transfer window, Hugill’s future at the club looks in serious doubt.
According to The Sun, Hugill is being eyed up by Championship giants Aston Villa, who want to secure a loan deal for his services in the coming days.
The newspaper claim that the Villans have already approached West Ham about the forward, who is also wanted by QPR and Leeds United.
While an exit for Hugill does make sense for West Ham, there is no way that the club should be sanctioning a loan deal for him this summer.
Instead, they must now seek a permanent exit for the powerful forward, as keeping him at the London Stadium is pointless for both club and player.
Keeping Hugill on the books is merely prolonging both his and the club’s pain, and cutting all ties must be the way forward as both parties look to move on.
The 26-year-old shows no signs of being able to compete at Premier League level, or at least at the level that will be required by Pellegrini at West Ham, and therefore there is no future prospect of him coming back and playing.
A permanent exit is therefore the only option going forward for all involved, and that arrangement must now be found soon with just ten days remaining in the window.
