OPINION
It’s become clear in recent months that Manuel Pellegrini’s attempts to renovate the West Ham United midfield this summer didn’t quite go as planned.
To be fair, he couldn’t have known that new recruit Carlos Sanchez would go down to a long term injury or that Jack Wilshere would start the season so poorly, but still it must be said that the Chilean needs to take another look at the position in January.
Perhaps he should consider someone like West Bromwich Albion’s Jake Livermore to solve his central midfield woes, then?
Declan Rice, Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang are the only fully fit, recognised central midfielders at the London Stadium at this moment in time, meaning that it is vital that someone of Livermore’s calibre is brought in.
The Baggies star is still just 29 years of age and has plenty of Premier League experience – he is also an England international with seven caps to his name.
Gareth Southgate obviously saw something in him, and Pellegrini should consider giving the England boss a call to find out what it was.
Perhaps it’s the player’s ability to dictate games from the middle of midfield, or his physical presence in the defensive side of the game.
Livermore has a myriad of talents, and they’re wasted in the Championship, even if it is with high-flying West Brom, who are the top scorers in England’s top four tiers.
He likely wouldn’t be too expensive given his age and second tier status, while he would provide the Hammers with something that they have been missing in the middle of the park of late.
His passing is far superior to any current West Ham midfielder. He can keep things simple with square passes to more talented attacking players, or he can spray a beautiful ball from one side of the pitch to the other.
That’s something which is absent amongst the team’s current central midfield trio, and is a major reason why Pellegrini should open his chequebook for the Baggies ace in January.