OPINION
West Ham forward Michail Antonio has slowly become a scapegoat for the club’s fanbase over the past season or so, with his performances dipping dramatically from his early days at the club.
The powerful winger has gone from being one the Hammers’ most productive players to one of their most frustrating ones, with his displays simply not up to standard lately.
Whatever the reason for this nosedive, the fact is that Antonio is contributing little to the West Ham cause anymore, and his deteriorating relationship with fans does not help the matter.
With the January window approaching, thoughts of a London Stadium exit will increase, and the door looks to have opened for that to now happen.
As reported by club insiders Claret and Hugh, Crystal Palace maintain an interest in the 28-year-old, with Roy Hodgson a long-term fan of the versatile forward.
It is said that a loan with an option to buy in the summer could be on the cards, with a significant loan fee to boot.
Whatever the deal is, Manuel Pellegrini must jump on this interest and attempt to engineer an exit for the hopeless Antonio, whose future at the club looks bleak.
The Hammers boss has said he does not want to sell any of his squad this winter, but there is a need for a new left-back and another forward, and that should mean an exit for Antonio is acceptable.
The fact is that his presence in the first-team is causing anger among the fans, none of whom seem to rate him anymore, and that is affecting his performances.
There looks to be no positive way forward for him in east London anymore, and Pellegrini must now gleefully open the exit door for him to leave the club in January.