Jason Cundy claimed that West Ham attacker Sebastien Haller looked like a player who could be sold for £80million+ in the near future during the first weeks of the season.
The talkSPORT pundit shared that when he was watching Haller at the start of the season that he thought the Hammers forward would end up being poached by a big club in the next 18 months.
However, Cundy then acknowledged that Haller must be baffled by how his season has gone lately as his teammates aren’t playing to his strengths.
“Sebastien Haller at the start of the season, after first few weeks you’re looking at him, and you’re thinking that in 18 months times a big club will come in and say we’ve seen enough, you’re good enough,” said Cundy on talkSPORT (16:14, Tuesday, November 19th).
“West Ham paid £40million? £80million+, double+, maybe even more.
“I’m looking at them now and he must be thinking what are my strengths?
“Get it into my body, I’m a big lad, get runners beside me…I just don’t know why West Ham don’t play a 4-3-3.”
OPINION
Okay, Cundy may be pushing the boat out a little bit too far with his praise of Haller. While the 25-year-old did start the season strong and seemed to settle into life quickly at the London Stadium, to say he looked like a player who could potentially be worth £80million in the near future, is way too bold. After all, how could he think such a thing based on only a handful of appearances for the London club? Haller may have racked up four goals in his eight league outings for the Hammers, but it’s not like he scored against the Premier League’s toughest defences. Two of the Frenchman’s goals came against Watford, only two Premier League sides have conceded more than them, and one of his goals came against Norwich City who have the division’s leakiest defence after conceding 28 goals in their first 12 league matches. While Haller’s goalscoring record hasn’t been boosted by his struggling teammates, they deserve some of the blame for him only touching the ball 30 times against Burnley (Source: WhoScored), to say he did enough in the first weeks of the season to suggest the Hammers could one day double their money is just silly.