Robbie Savage has predicted West Ham to finish eighth in the upcoming Premier League season and has tipped Lucas Perez to be a success at the London Stadium
The BT Sport pundit shared that he thought how different the vibe was surrounding the Hammers following Manuel Pellegrini’s appointment and the board’s decision to spend big in the summer transfer market.
Savage suggested that there was no longer a toxic atmosphere surrounding the London club and stated that Perez has the ability to be the bargain buy of 2018 after being recruited from Arsenal.
“What a difference from the toxic atmosphere and animosity towards the board six months ago!” wrote the pundit in his column for the Daily Mirror.
“Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan have given new manager Manuel Pellegrini £90million to spend, and his makeover includes some exciting components, from record signing Felipe Anderson and freebie Jack Wilshere to Lucas Perez, who could be the bargain buy of 2018 at £4m.
“Prediction 8th.”
OPINION
Savage may be on to something with his assessment of Perez as the attacker could soon look like being a bargain given his very cheap price. The 29-year-old attacker may have had a disappointing time at the Gunners where he was starved of opportunities but with the right guidance, he could prove himself in the Premier League. Perez scored seven goals, while assisting five, in 21 appearances for the Gunners and averaged a goal or an assist every 74 minutes for the club. It really seems that Arsene Wenger didn’t believe the 29-year-old fitted into his system at the Gunners and that new boss Unai Emery wasn’t willing to give him an opportunity to feature in his exciting plans for the new season. Hopefully Pellegrini not only gets the best out of Perez but simply gives him opportunities to feature as he needs regular playing time in order to get his confidence up. While Perez is more than likely to regularly start on the bench for the Hammers, he should be used frequently enough in order to have a positive impact on his new team’s fortunes.
