Journalist Dean Jones has identified a major issue for West Ham United if Tomas Soucek was to leave the club in the summer.
Soucek signed for West Ham for £19.1m after impressing on an initial loan deal with the club. He has gone on to be a mainstay in the side since, featuring in all 38 league games last term and making 29 top-flight appearances this season.
The Czech has been linked with a move away from West Ham, with big European clubs keeping tabs on the midfielder ahead of the summer transfer window.
Amid reports claiming that a new contract for Soucek could not be agreed between the club and the player, Jones highlighted to GiveMeSport how much of a big loss it would be for the Hammers if they were to lose their midfielder as well as Declan Rice, who has also been the subject of transfer speculation.
He said: “It’s a bit of a worrying one for West Ham. Let’s be honest, though, West Ham cannot afford to lose Soucek and Rice in this next transfer window. So, something’s going to have to be done.”
TIF Thoughts on Dean Jones’ comments…
Soucek has been instrumental for West Ham in their recent successes as they look to push for European qualification ahead of next season. He has missed just two games for the club over their last 69 league games, so would be a huge loss if he was to depart in the summer.
With speculation that Rice could also leave West Ham before the start of next season, West Ham may look to push for a new deal for Soucek to ensure that they keep at least one of their vital midfield duo at the club.
Soucek barely missing a game has been key for the Hammers over the last 18 months as their newfound form has meant that they now play in Europe, so they have considerably more games to play throughout the season, and having someone as reliable as the 27-year-old must be a massive advantage in terms of battling on multiple fronts.