OPINION
There is little question that West Ham and manager Manuel Pellegrini are looking to take the east London side to the next level – with their spending spree over summer kicking off an overhaul of the senior squad.
The new arrivals at the London Stadium has left a number of former stars struggling to make their way back into the starting XI this season, with Pedro Obiang very much one of those who has fallen down the pecking order.
The 26-year-old has eight starts under his belt in his 12 Premier League appearances as he flits in and out of the side under Pellegrini and his lack of regular starts could lead to him leaving, with the Sun stating that Fulham are eyeing up a surprise swap deal involving Tom Cairney – another who has struggled for game time this season.
The report states that the Hammers actually made a move for the Scottish international nearly 12 months ago – but they would be stark raving mad to green light this swap deal now.
The Cottagers’ 27-year-old has hardly lived up to the form he showed in the Championship last season, with just one assist to his name in 14 appearances and with so many other midfield options at the London Stadium he would struggle to make the sort of impact they would want.
What does he offer that Obiang does not? That is a question for Pellegrini to ask himself but on paper there is not a lot going in the Scot’s favour.
Cairney’s injury issues, having been plagued by knee problems, only compounds the reason why they should be avoiding this deal like the plague.