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West Ham must keep hold of Obiang

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OPINION

Squad players are some of the most important members of a football club. They don’t start every week but they supplement the team’s stars and provide a strong backbone to any side.

We’ve seen in the past how important players like John O’Shea and Nicky Butt were to Manchester United, or James Milner to Manchester City. With that said, it is vital that West Ham United keep hold of midfielder Pedro Obiang this month.

Football London reported on Monday that the Hammers had rejected a €10million bid for the player from Italian side Fiorentina. That is exactly the right decision – Obiang must remain at the London Stadium.

The Spaniard is firmly behind captain Mark Noble and young sensation Declan Rice in the central midfield pecking order, but beyond him there is no one providing back up to the first choice duo.

Carlos Sanchez is a long term injury absentee and Jack Wilshere perennially joins him on the treatment table. To give up Obiang when the club are so short on central midfielders would be madness.

Football.London’s report states that the player desires a move back to Serie A, having previously shone for Sampdoria. While that may well be the case, West Ham should tell him that he cannot leave the club now but that if he still wants to go they will negotiate his sale in the summer.

Even then, however, they should be trying to convince the midfielder to stay. Obiang isn’t the most talented of players, but he is a hard worker and a solid Premier League performer. You can plug him in whenever he’s needed and the chances are he’ll come up with a decent performance. His contributions invariably go under-the-radar.

He’s not had a great season by any means, but he remains a reliable option behind Noble and Rice. Certainly he has played better than either Wilshere or Sanchez have in their small sample sizes this campaign.

Again, squad players are the bedrock of any good side. It’s important to have strength in depth and the Hammers have seriously lacked that due to injury this season.

It would be crazy to get rid of Obiang now, it’s simply the worst possible timing. It’s vital that the club resist all attempts to tear him away from East London.

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