OPINION
It’s been clear for a long time that right back Sam Byram simply isn’t going to cut it at West Ham United. Injuries have robbed him of any momentum he had and his career at the club looks to be at an end.
With that said, it’s imperative that the Hammers cash in on him while they have the chance this summer. Luckily for them, the Nottingham Post reported on Monday that Martin O’Neill’s Nottingham Forest side have made the 25-year-old their number one right back target.
Despite only playing eight times for Forest during his loan spell this season due to injury, Byram has seemingly done enough to convince the Reds that he is worth bringing back.
The report doesn’t state whether O’Neill wants the Englishman back on a permanent deal or simply another loan, but West Ham must be hoping it’s the former.
Byram has played just 36 times for the Hammers since joining from Leeds United in 2016. Injuries have stalled his progress, and it seems that his time at the club is very much up.
With that said, the best manager Manuel Pellegrini can hope for is to shift him for a bit of dosh this summer. Forest appear willing enough to take him, so the east London outfit need to cash in on him while they still can.
Forest seems like a good fit for Byram as a player, too. He looked decent when he did feature this term and if he can just stay fit then he might be able to make a big impact for them in the future.
But at West Ham? No, it doesn’t look like it. There are too many players ahead of him in the pecking order. It’s time he moved on this summer, there’s little doubt about that.
