West Ham United right back Pablo Zabaleta is likely to play second fiddle to teammate Ryan Fredericks next season, according to Football London.
The outlet claims that the 34-year-old is unlikely to be a regular starter for Manuel Pellegrini’s side from here on out, despite making 26 appearances this time round.
However, the Argentine is expected to be offered a 12-month extension to his current Hammers deal which is expected to expire at the end of the season.
Fredericks has experienced an upturn in form recently having initially struggled to make an impact after moving across London from Fulham last summer.
OPINION
This is probably what most West Ham supporters were expecting their right back corps to look like next season. It does seem as if Zabaleta will stick around for another year in east London, barring some unforeseen circumstance. But due to his age and inconsistent performances this season, he will likely be used as a rotational option rather than as a first choice player. To be fair to Fredericks, he has come on well of late and deserves a chance to see what he can do as a week-to-week starter. However, there is also young Ben Johnson waiting in the wings. The 19-year-old has been in superb form for the Under-23s this campaign, while he performed exceptionally well in his debut against Manchester City in February. It would be a big surprise if he wasn’t given a few more first team opportunities next season as well, so we’ll see what happens at the right back position next term.
