Manuel Pellegrini could look to sell West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini before his contract expires, according to Claret and Hugh.
The online club source claim that the Argentine could be set for a January exit from the London Stadium to stop him leaving for free, and that the Hammers would value him at £15million-£20million should a deal materialise.
Claret and Hugh report that the £70,000 per-week [Spotrac] ace’s future hangs on a return to full fitness and a successful new round of contract talks with his current deal now entering its final year.
Lanzini has suffered from numerous injury concerns throughout the past year, with the 26-year-old only managing to make 10 appearances in the Premier League.
OPINION
This will come as no real surprise to everyone involved at West Ham. Lanzini wasn’t missed massively in the Premier League last season, with Felipe Anderson impressing majorly during his first season for the Hammers. Add the confirmed arrival of Spanish playmaker Pablo Fornals, and the Argentina international could really struggle to force his way into Pellegrini’s plans and earn consistent minutes. Should the report that suggests that £20million is a realistic valuation be true, many involved with the Hammers would no doubt snap at the chance to bring in that sort of money. The 26-year-old has unfortunately become a fringe player at the club, and it has been revealed that they will need to sell players to fund future moves going forward. After only featuring for 688 minutes of their recent campaign Lanzini would certainly not be amiss, despite his past successes in London. Pellegrini has now been at the club for long enough to start stamping his authority on his squad, with this summer the perfect opportunity to make a statement. The sale of Lanzini could put down a marker from the Chilean, who can show he isn’t prepared to give in to a player’s demands.
