OPINION
Sensible clubs take their time evaluating players, they don’t rush to judgements too soon, for one way or another. Liverpool’s treatment of midfielder Fabinho this season is a fine example of this.
It’s concerning, then, to see that West Ham United are already preparing to get into bed with playmaker Samir Nasri long term. Claret & Hugh reported on Friday that the Hammers are set to trigger the one year extension in the Frenchman’s contract despite him being out with injury.
This is a player who, lest we forget, has only made three appearances for the club after joining in the New Year. Three appearances, yet they want to commit themselves to him for another year.
That seems pretty quick for an evaluation of how he fits into Manuel Pellegrini’s team and whether he’s worth bringing on board for the foreseeable future. But, no, the manager is said to be keen to tie him down.
This looks very much like Pellegrini’s emotions are getting the best of him. Nasri enjoyed arguably the finest form of his career under the Chilean at Manchester City, and you can’t say that that hasn’t clouded the manager’s vision here.
Andy Carroll has been fit for months and a regular in the first team squad, but yet Pellegrini hasn’t made a decision on his future. Nasri, though, three games is all it takes apparently.
It would be a big mistake for the club to commit themselves to the former City man so soon. He’s done nothing yet in a claret and blue shirt, and there’s been no indication that he’s good enough to start ahead of the likes of Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko on a regular basis next season.
This just all seems very hasty. Pellegrini is clearly living in the daze of his City-Nasri love-in and it’s taken him away from the here and now. There’s no harm in waiting until the end of the campaign before making a decision on the Frenchman. Why does it have to be now?