OPINION
The emergence of Declan Rice in recent years has transformed West Ham United massively.
Their midfield has gone to another level with the youngsters’ rise to success only benefitting Mark Noble alongside him.
Having said that, outside of those two, Manuel Pellegrini could be left scratching his head for options – with Jack Wilshere notoriously known for his injuries, and Pedro Obiang set to be sold to Sassuolo on his return from China, according to journalist Nicolo Schira.
West Ham have been reported by the Northern Echo to be a likely destination for Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden, which would have been a great move by Pellegrini to add some steel to the heart of midfield.
The 24-year-old would have been available for £15million, but reliable club source, ExWHUemployee, has revealed on his personal Twitter account that there is a hurdle in the pursuit of Hayden, as the club don’t currently have the budget needed to afford him.
Budget is very dependent on players out at moment so I’m not sure we will be able to afford him https://t.co/01aRl7gK4F
— ExWHUEmployee (@ExWHUEmployee) July 18, 2019
The Hammers need to find a way to overcome this hurdle, possibly by selling players, as Hayden could be useful.
Without Hayden, this could leave Pellegrini with Carlos Sanchez as one of his main back-up midfielders, a choice that could leave the Hammers majorly regretting not funding a move for the Magpies ace.
Comparing the two via WhoScored, it is clear to see that the Newcastle man would be a welcome replacement for Sanchez at the London Stadium as he’d be an upgrade.
Hayden managed to make more Premier League appearances and averaged significantly more tackles, interceptions, and clearances as he marshalled the Newcastle midfield expertly.
Sanchez struggled to make an impact in East London in the previous campaign, with knee surgery keeping him out for 215 days, leading him to miss 34 games [Source: Transfermarkt].
The 33-year-old no longer warrants his place in West Ham’s plans, with the Colombian still showing the effect of his knee surgery in his dreadful performance against Manchester City on Wednesday.
West Ham must go all out to sign Hayden this summer or face the consequences of being left with Sanchez as their only defensive back-up in midfield.