OPINION
Francis Coquelin has attracted the attention of West Ham with Arsenal keen to sell the midfielder for £10million, and it really signals the club’s lack of ambition.
The Daily Mirror reported that the French midfielder is seen as an ideal way for David Moyes to bolster the Hammers midfield in January, as they’re seriously lacking options.
Coquelin is an experienced midfielder who has featured over a 100 times in the Premier League for the Gunners and will no doubt aid West Ham’s immediate fight against relegation.
However, he’s not a signing that signals an ambition to be anything more than a relegation threatened team every season.
Since Moyes publicly announced his desire to sign midfielders in January after the League Cup clash with Arsenal, West Ham have been linked with a host of options.
The majority of those options have seemed unlikely, as the Daily Mirror reports that the Hammers have already failed in their quests to sign Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Allen as it stands.
Shelvey and Allen were both signings that you could see improving the team rather than being utilised to cover the squad’s lack of depth.
The Coquelin deal has a high chance of happening given Arsenal’s inability to use him this season.
However, there’s debate to be had about whether he actually is leaps and bounds above their current options, and whether he just provides cover to the squad.
The midfielder will certainly do a job, when called upon, given his versatility and experience, but next season, will he help the Hammers push on? Probably not.
While the Hammers have to act fast to strengthen their squad, as the threat of relegation is real, Coquelin is like putting a plaster over a wound, only for it to peel off a short time later.
He is little more than a water carrier, to quote Eric Cantona’s famous put-down of Didier Deschamps. If he is the best West Ham can do in January, they’re in trouble.
It will be fine for Moyes to spend £10million to get the Arsenal player in, to ensure numbers in January, but it would be worrying if he was the only midfielder they could get.
It would mean that even if his team survives in the Premier League, the midfield would still need quality adding to it in the summer.
West Ham, given their stature, shouldn’t be a club who is building season to season.
When they move to the London stadium, it was meant to be the start of a legacy being built but so far it’s just been one big let down and Coquelin signing would unfortunately continue that feeling around the club.
Now in a few months time, if Coquelin joins and West Ham remain in the Premier League, the midfielder may receive plaudits for his part in saving the club, but it won’t last.
West Ham did show ambition in the summer by signing the likes of Javier Hernandez, and even though he hasn’t worked out, that shouldn’t stop them being ambitious.
Coquelin’s arrival will soon have fans wishing for more next season, as they realise that once again they should have aimed higher with their January signings.