A few West Ham United fans have been reacting on social media to reports by The Sun, claiming David Moyes plans to sell Manuel Lanzini and Fabian Balbuena in the summer.
Moyes is expected to have a slender budget to work with in the upcoming transfer window as he looks to freshen up his ranks in east London, feeling that younger players will add some much-needed pace to the side.
Lanzini and Balbuena are two players Moyes believes the club can make do without going forward and will place the pair on the chopping block to raise much-needed funds, with £13million expected to be used triggering the Hammers’ option-to-buy Tomas Soucek.
Moyes believes Soucek could be his new Marouane Fellaini having noted comparisons between the Czech giant and his former 6 ft 4 Belgian midfielder, who he signed during his time in charge of Everton and Manchester United.
Spanish forward Pablo Fornals, who West Ham paid £24m to sign last summer, is also seen as a younger and fitter option to Lanzini as the pair play in a similar position, leaving the Argentine vulnerable to being sold having failed to hold down a place in the side following the serious knee injury sustained prior to the 2018 World Cup.
Lanzini returned from the blow to make 10 Premier League appearances in the tail-end of the 2018/19 season, but the £14.4m-rated playmaker has only managed to improve that number to 23 this term of which only 14 have come in the starting line-up heading into the penultimate game of the campaign.
Some fans on social media have noted the impact of the knee injury in their assessment of reports suggesting Lanzini could be put up for sale this summer feeling the 27-year-old, who has failed to score a single goal this season, has not been the same since.
Such a shame about @manulanzini what a player he was before that injury https://t.co/cnfgfyK0v2
— T E D ⚒ (@ItsTed__93) July 20, 2020
Right decsion lanzini not been the same since the injury
— westham3000 (@westham82) July 19, 2020
Lanzini never the same after that long injury lay off…shame
— Christian Jesty 🇬🇧 (@ChristianJesty) July 20, 2020
Among the West Ham fans focusing on Balbuena’s potential departure, a few supporters are surprised to see reports suggesting Moyes plans to part ways with the £8.55m-rated centre-half as the Paraguayan is still a very capable back-up if not a starting option.
Balbuena has opened the action in 13 Premier League fixtures this season as part of a total 17 top-flight appearances, though only one of the 28-year-old’s starts have come since the middle of January when West Ham lost 1-0 at Sheffield United.
Over his league appearances this season, Balbuena has averaged 1.3 successful tackles from 2.5 attempts per 90 minutes, plus 2.0 interceptions, 5.4 clearances, 1.5 blocks, 4.1 of 7.0 aerial duels won and finds teammates with 27.6 of his 38.5 passes, per WhoScored data.
Balbuena isn’t a bad backup tbh
— chris (@whuchr) July 19, 2020
£4m we paid, what are we going to get for that? He’s a great backup, dont get the hate tbh
— James Walker (@twentyzeronine) July 19, 2020
The mixed messages of fans reacting to Lanzini and Balbuena potentially being sold were also met with optimism, as one supporter has gleefully looked on the duo’s chances of leaving the London Stadium as the start of the Irons’ road to qualifying for Europe.
Yes please. Give moyes 3 years we will be in Europa league https://t.co/GAOjiDbImp
— jaymo (@JaymoWHUFC3) July 19, 2020