OPINION
There are always difficult decision to be made when a once great player begins to noticeably wane in his powers.
At what point does his experience turn into a potentially detrimental lack of mobility, and how can you justify paying a wage to somebody on the basis of his past achievements?
These are questions that many West Ham fans are starting to ask with regards to veteran full-back Pablo Zabaleta.
The Argentine has had a fantastic career in the English game, and has been a decent addition to the Hammers’ squad since joining from Manchester City in 2017.
His contract is out in the summer, however, and in recent weeks he has looked as if he age might finally be catching up with him.
At 34, the rigours of Premier League football, especially for an attack-minded full-back, are always going to be punishing, and nobody could blame Zabaleta if he decided to call time on his playing days.
According to Football.London, however, Manuel Pellegrini is keen to hand the £80,000-a-week defender a new deal, but that is, to be frank, a bad idea.
Football.London also state that due to expected financial losses for this year, the Hammers are likely to have to sell before they can buy this summer, and freeing up funds wherever possible would be a good idea.
Handing a new deal to a highly paid veteran who seems to be getting worse by the week doesn’t seem like the brightest idea Pellegrini has ever had, and while there may be an element of sentimentality involved, at the moment, the Irons need cold, hard pragmatism.
