OPINION
West Ham must reignite their reported pursuit of Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney in January as the 27-year-old will perhaps be easier to get given how he is now being wasted at Craven Cottage.
Sky Sports reported in the summer that the Hammers bid £20million for the playmaker only for the Cottagers to reject their bid while preparing for life in the Premier League after winning promotion.
However Fulham have struggled in England’s top-flight this season and after changing manager it seems Cairney is set to struggle in particular.
The left-footed playmaker is a sublime passer of the ball with excellent creative vision and is more than capable of being a spark in a Premier League side’s midfield.
Yet since Claudio Ranieri took over the hotseat at Craven Cottage, Cairney isn’t being used properly.
The title-winning manager seems unsure how to get the best out of Cairney, and has even deployed him on the right-flank, which isn’t a good idea given his lack of pace, and only used him as a substitute in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Wolves.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Ranieri therefore doesn’t stand in the way of the 27-year-old perhaps considering an exit as sometimes certain managers just don’t click with players.
Given that the Hammers could do with a fresh attacking midfielder who thrives off playing defence-splitting passes from a central position, Manuel Pellegrini should encourage his side to try and test Fulham’s resolve once again.
Cairney would dazzle under a manager like Pellegrini as the former Manchester City boss seems to have a knack for unleashing player’s creativity and letting them play with a freedom that other managers don’t.
It’s easy to imagine the Fulham midfielder being able to flourish at the London Stadium and replicate the form he showed in the Championship last season where he was involved in 11 goals in 37 outings.
Therefore the Hammers must reignite their well-documented pursuit of Cairney as not only is he being rather wasted at Craven Cottage right now, he’d shine brighter than ever before under Pellegrini.