West Ham United forward Javier Hernandez has been named as one of the most ‘obvious candidate’ to leave the club this summer by Claret & Hugh with the transfer window still open in some European countries.
Premier League clubs are now only entitled to bring in free-agents now after Thursday’s deadline saw the window end earlier than usual, whereas the window in Spain, France, and Germany runs until the end of August.
Claret and Hugh report that more departures are likely at the London Stadium, but that many clubs have been put off by the wage demands of the 108-cap Mexican international in reference to his chances of leaving.
The 31-year-old is the Hammers’ highest earner at this moment, with a wage of £140,000 per-week under Manuel Pellegrini [Source: WhoScored].
OPINION
With the arrivals of both Sebastien Haller and Albian Ajeti, it would come as no surprise should an exit for Hernandez be sanctioned in the next three weeks. West Ham would surely be delighted to get his wages off their annual bill, especially after the little effect he had on the Hammers’ side last season. Hernandez made 25 appearances, with 11 of those coming off the bench and only managed to score seven goals – a low tally for a striker on £140,000 per-week. The 31-year-old failed to take advantage of his poaching instincts, which is proven when you notice he only averages 0.2 key passes per game on top of 0.5 dribbles [WhoScored] – stats which proves he lives for loose balls in the box rather than creating the opportunities himself. Having said that, Hernandez still attempted an average of 1.5 shots each game, proving a poor conversion rate in front of goal. With Ajeti and Haller both having arrived, Hernandez has surely been pushed down the pecking order and a move into Europe would definitely delight Pellegrini and finish off a great window for the Hammers.
