West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has decided that he wishes to keep both Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Cresswell this summer, according to Football.London.
The Chilean has reportedly made the decision as he looks to prioritise strengthening other areas of the field, with signing a new striker still his main objective.
Of the left-back pairing, it is Masuaku who has finished the season stronger, completing a full 90 minutes in each of the Hammers’ last five matches.
OPINION
This might not be the best news in the world for West Ham fans. To say that they have mixed opinions on Masuaku and Cresswell is an understatement. The former is often singled out as being one of the Hammers’ most inconsistent defenders, and Cresswell’s injury record is so unreliable that there has to be questions asked about Pellegrini’ judgement on this one. Obviously, both players can cut it at the top level on their day, but the worry will be that it isn’t their day often enough. You can understand that Pellegrini feels the need to prioritise other positions on a limited budget, but surely it would still be wise of him to bring in another alternative in a position that has so often been the Hammers’ weak point this season. Selling one or both of his current options would surely help fund an investment. You just hope that this decision doesn’t come back to bite him.
