Any West Ham move for Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is unlikely, according to Claret and Hugh.
The online club source claim that any potential move for the England international is currently on hold after the recent departure of Magpies’ boss Rafael Benitez on Monday.
Claret and Hugh report that the chances of the midfield moving clubs are below 50 per cent, with any potential move for his teammate Isaac Hayden also in doubt.
Manuel Pellegrini was reported by the Sun to have been confident of securing a deal for the 27-year-old. Shelvey endured a disappointing campaign last season, only making 16 Premier League appearances – only 26 per cent of those coming from the first whistle.
OPINION
Despite reportedly being confident of securing a deal this summer for Shelvey, Pellegrini will surely not be too downhearted by the potential of missing out on the midfielder. The signing of Pablo Fornals sent out a real signal of intent from the Hammers, who are now able to attract some of Europe’s brightest talents – with Shelvey certainly not being one of those. Claret and Hugh suggested that it was external influences that reportedly halted their pursuit, with Newcastle having lost their manager in the middle of a reported takeover surely playing a big role. At 27-years-old, Shelvey is not the answer for West Ham, who must look for a younger player to potentially come in and partner Declan Rice in the years to come. Mark Noble has been fantastic for the Hammers, making 467 appearances in the claret shirt, with his career surely coming to an end soon. This one will not hurt the fans of the club too much, with Rice outperforming the Newcastle man in nearly every department – averaging more than one clearance and tackles per game last season [WhoScored].
