OPINION
Carlos Sanchez has never been an integral part of this West Ham United squad. He was brought in last summer seemingly as an afterthought, and proceeded to miss the majority of last season due to a major injury.
He’s returned to the fray in pre season this summer, but has looked just as hapless in his two friendly appearances as he did in the handful of games he played before he was sidelined last term.
Against Manchester City in the Hammers’ first Premier League Asia Trophy match on Wednesday, the 82-cap Colombian international produced an alarming performance that will have kept manager Manuel Pellegrini up last night.
The 33-year-old replaced Declan Rice at half time in China, and managed to look as bad as it’s possible to look in a pre season game where the opposition is playing at 30% at best.
The difference between Rice and Sanchez is night and day. The former is just 20 years of age, but he already looks more comfortable in the holding midfield role than the former Fiorentina man ever has.
Within seconds of replacing the England international on Wednesday, Sanchez dallied on the ball and saw it nicked off him by the always-effervescent Bernardo Silva, who immediately launched a City attack.
In terms of pure defensive midfielders, Rice and Sanchez are the only ones expected to be at the club for the start of next season at the moment. Italian journalist Nicolo Schira claimed on his personal Twitter account recently that Pedro Obiang will be sold to Serie A side Sassuolo once the Hammers’ time in China is at an end.
If that proves to be the case, Sanchez will be the one called upon to deputise for Rice should he pick up an injury or a suspension next season.
However, given how poor he has looked whenever he has featured for Pellegrini’s team, the Irons should cut their losses on the veteran this summer.
