West Ham United winger Michail Antonio could leave the club this summer as part of a potential squad clear-out by manager Manuel Pellegrini, according to Claret & Hugh.
The reliable Hammers news source claims that the 28-year-old, who has made 122 appearances for the club, could be on the chopping block in a few months time.
Pellegrini has now had time to assess the squad and it’s thought that there are question marks over whether Antonio is technical enough to fit in with the Chilean’s footballing philosophy.
Antonio’s exit would be part of a mini-exodus in the Hammers squad, which could also include Lucas Perez, Andy Carroll, Arthur Masuaku, Adrian, Winston Reid, Pedro Obiang and Carlos Sanchez.
OPINION
This is an interesting one, and it might explain why Antonio has been unceremoniously booted out of the starting eleven recently despite having been in pretty good form of late. The Englishman isn’t the most technical of players, it’s true, he relies on pace, power and aerial ability to get the job done. However, he is a hard worker and is extremely versatile. He provides you with cover at right back, as well as on the wing and as an auxiliary striker. It’s hard to find a player who covers all of those bases. Besides, he’s had a decent season, particularly recently where he’s produced some of his best form in years. So this is rather curious. Pellegrini obviously has an idea in his head of what he wants to do at West Ham, but you have to be flexible with your philosophy. Given Antonio’s fine form and versatility, this might be an instance where the Chilean needs to bend his own rules a bit and keep the player on.
