Insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that he expects West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini to leave in the summer when his contract is set to expire.
What’s the word?
The 29-year-old has struggled to make much of an impact for David Moyes so far this term, having played just five times in the Premier League for a total of 122 minutes.
What’s more, he has recently been linked with a move away from the club after Spanish media linked Lanzini with a move back home to Argentine side River Plate.
Seeing as the player’s contract is set to expire this summer and he isn’t exactly a regular in the West Ham team right now, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him leave.
Indeed, Ex made this point while speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, noting that the club probably won’t bother to trigger an extension clause they have available.
He said: “His contract is up. West Ham do have an option to trigger further years.
“But I think with the fact that in terms of the pecking order at the moment, he’s obviously behind Rice, Soucek, Paqueta, Downes probably, and he’s on a hefty wage, I don’t think it’s been confirmed either way what West Ham want to do, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s released in the summer.”
Time to move on
Lanzini joined West Ham permanently back in 2016, having been there on loan initially, and has gone on to play over 200 games in all competitions for the club.
However, as Ex points out, he has fallen way down in the pecking order of late, and currently has fewer minutes than other midfielders such as Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta and Flynn Downes.
Amid all this uncertainty over his future, the player’s father has even recently gone on the record to say how nice it would be to see his son playing back in Argentina with River Plate.
He said (via CaughtOffside): “We are all River fans and partners. The whole family. Sitting there and seeing Manu would be a pride, to share it again even with my oldest grandson.
“Then here there is a problem that is social, of living in a difficult country with economic problems and insecurity, but that he puts on River’s shirt again is a dream of the whole family.”