OPINION
West Ham made a blunder when they let teenager Domingos Quina join Watford in summer especially as they let him go for just a measly £1million.
The Hammers opted to sell the highly-rated midfielder to their Premier League rivals in a deal worth £1million (Source: Daily Mirror) on transfer deadline day and it was a decision that raised eyebrows at the time.
Quina may have only managed six appearances for the Hammers’ senior side but his reputation proceeded him especially after he dazzled for Portugal’s U-19s at the start of the summer just gone.
Yet despite his clear potential, the Hammers opted to take a risk and get him off their books.
The 19-year-old hasn’t instantly dominated Watford’s first-team by any means but he has shown glimpses that the Hammers made a mistake letting him go.
Quina looked a real handful on his debut for the Hornets in August against Reading in the EFL Cup, where he scored a goal, and looked fantastic against Everton on Monday.
It was particularly painful watching him excel in his first Premier League start for the Hornets against the Toffees during their recent 2-2 draw as he showed all the signs that he had a bright future in the game.
Quina wasn’t intimidated, didn’t shy away from making attacking runs and was calm in possession despite it potentially being a nervous outing for him.
Given that £1million doesn’t go very far in the transfer market, then it’s amazing that the Hammers sanction his sale for that price especially as his value is already no doubt significantly above that figure.
While watching him excel for Watford on Monday was painful enough, the blunder will only hurt more if anything as time passes.
The 19-year-old is clearly capable of getting better as he picks up experience and if he continues to feature in the Premier League then it’s very likely his transformation into a top player worthy of the Hammers’ first-team will occur.
This means the Hammers decision to get rid in the summer is only set to look more painful as time passes.
