OPINION
With West Ham United striker Andy Carroll set to leave the club at the end of the season, it remains to be seen if any other forwards will follow him out of the exit door.
Marko Arnautovic’s future at the club remains questionable and Lucas Perez is likely to be sold due to his dire season with the Hammers.
However, there is another contender for the Irons exit, and that is Javier Hernandez. Claret and Hugh have reported West Ham are likely to cash in on the attacker, and are looking for a fee of £10million – in order to avoid him leaving on a free transfer when his contract ends next season.
However, with most of the attack heading for the exit, the last thing the club should be doing is letting Hernandez leave. If him leaving on a free next summer is one of their fears, then they should secure his future by handing him a one year extension.
The 30-year-old has been largely decent for the Hammer recently, and to let him go would be a grave mistake from the Irons. Yes, the 2017 signing is not as good as he used to be, but him leaving would give the club a lot of work to do in terms of recruiting, especially if Arnautovic packs his bags.
They must resist the urge to sell the former Manchester United man, even if Hernandez himself is unhappy at not being able to play first team football. If they want him to stay, then they must convince him that he is going to play on a regular basis.
Hernandez is a goal poacher, and if he is provided the service in the box, then he will pretty much find the back of the net. Put it this way, West Ham would be shooting themselves in the foot if they greenlighted his departure.
