West Ham United midfielder Pedro Obiang is not close to an exit from the London Stadium amid heavy speculation surrounding a return to Serie A, according to Claret and Hugh.
The Hammers website, which is a reliable source for insider information, report that the 26-year-old Spaniard is not for sale this summer, with manager Manuel Pellegrini having plans to involve him in the first-team picture.
Claret and Hugh claim that the club therefore have no intention of selling or loaning out Obiang this summer in a significant update on the situation.
A source is quoted as saying: “Obiang is not on the managers sell list, we can’t prevent silly low offers from Italy, why would we loan him as it would leave us short?”
The Daily Mail claim that Obiang is keen on a return to Sampdoria, from whom he joined the Hammers in 2015.
OPINION
These rumours of an exit for Obiang did seem a bit farfetched considering the Hammers can not really afford to lose players in midfield, and the fact that the 26-year-old has been one of the club’s most impressive players at times since his arrival. A serious injury last season has seen him sidelined for a long while now, and he will surely be raring to impress new boss Pellegrini and force his way into the club’s first-team plans. Claret and Hugh seem to believe that will be the case, and Pellegrini could be the man to take Obiang’s game to the next level. The biggest criticism that can be levelled at the midfielder is his lack of consistency, and if he can remedy that under the Chilean, he could become a key member of this West Ham squad. He will have his work cut out to start the season in the first XI, but there is definitely room for him to make a starting spot his own should his game improve under Pellegrini.