OPINION
With West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini having brought in a whole load of new faces to battle it out for a first team role this summer, there will no doubt be a handful of former senior stars who are being lined up for the exit door over the coming months.
Seven signings over the past couple of weeks has seen the size of the squad grow significantly, and with no meaningful sales as of yet, the Hammers are facing the prospect of too few holes for all the pegs they have at their disposal.
One man who has never hit the ground running has been Swiss international Edimilson Fernandes, who, in his 48 Irons appearances, has just one goal and another assist.
Injuries have hampered his playing time but he simply does not look cut out to be part of the West Ham squad, and on £30,000-a-week wages (source: Spotrac), he is a misfit the club could do without.
Cashing in on the 6’2″ (source: Transfermarkt) central star’s sale would clear room in the squad as well as off the books, not to mention giving Pellegrini more cash to work with before the summer window shuts, and with Il Secolo XIX claiming that Sampdoria are eyeing up a swoop for his capture this summer, the 22-year-old should be given the green light to go.
The Serie A side are said to be looking at a host of midfield options and considering his lack of playing time, partly due to injury and partly due to form, at the London Stadium, the Switzerland maestro may well be open to an exit himself.
It is a move which works for all parties, and gives the Hammers some breathing room in what is a hugely bloated first team setup.