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£18m-rated midfielder is exactly the type of player West Ham don’t need – opinion

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Kevin Strootman could join West Ham on loan, after Marseille offered the Dutchman to the club and two other Premier League teams, according to Sky Sports News.

If we were offered the deal two or three years ago, it would have been a brilliant opportunity to snap up one of the best midfielders in Europe. Now, though, he would not progress the team forward, and his signing would fit into the same ilk as the likes of Nasri, Hart, and Jelavic – remember him? All players signed on reputation, who proved that their best days were well behind them.

Strootman, who is rated at £18m by transfermarkt.com, is a good passer of the ball but he is cumbersome, and his slow style is not suited to the Premier League. By comparison, Rice and Noble cover a great deal more ground, despite the age of the latter.

Even if Strootman did impress, at 29 there would be little sell-on value should we make his signing permanent, and the cost of his wages alone would be considerable – especially given the waste in wages being spent on Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez.

After a difficult season filled with injuries, Pellegrini has built a good basis for us to expand on. We should make signings that will inspire both the fans and the squad, and make us all believe that we are able to challenge for Europe.

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