OPINION
West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini burst back onto the scene for a 15 minute cameo in the 3-1 win over Fulham last Friday, and many fans are surely delighted that he is on his way back after eight months out.
He was no doubt one of their best players last season, but an injury sustained at the World Cup in the summer stopped him in his tracks and had him sidelined for the best part of the season.
However, the 26-year-old is now firmly back in Manuel Pellegrini’s plans for the remainder of the campaign, and his burst of energy on Friday showed that there are no signs of rust.
This is why Pellegrini and the majority of the fans will be rather frustrated by the fact that news outlet Football Fancast have reported that Liverpool are continuing to monitor Lanzini ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Hammers have only just got him back, and now they run the risk of him leaving permanently in a few months’ time, and this is something that the club simply cannot allow to happen.
The £70,000-a-week [Spotrac] star is quite the talent and the worst thing the Irons could do come the summer is cash in on one of their main assets.
Yes, the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko will be returning in time for next season, but that is one of the reasons why he needs to stay at the London Stadium – just imagine how good the team would be if this duo played alongside each other.
Pellegrini is no doubt sweating at the thought of the Reds tabling a £45million bid for the Argentine’s services, as the player himself would certainly be tempted by a move to a top six Premier League club if given the chance.
Either way, Pellegrini needs to pull out the stops to ensure that Lanzini’s future remains in East London this summer, as he will surely be key to their success next term.
