Why West Ham signing Javier Manquillo would be a good move
According to The Northern Echo, West ham United are planning to make a move for Newcastle United’s Javier Manquillo.
The Magpies have a huge squad and are looking to add reinforcements in January but only if they can sell some players of their current squad. And this may be good news for West ham, who are eyeing a move for the right-back.
Manquillo, 25, came through Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid’s youth ranks in his home town. After a year with Atletico’s senior squad, he was sent on loans to Liverpool, Marseille, and Sunderland before moving to St. James’ Park on a permanent basis in 2017.
Since his arrival, he has been fighting for a regular spot with DeAndre Yedlin, another of the Magpies right-back. He has been unable to nail the spot for himself in his two seasons at the club.
The 25-year-old has featured in just 8 matches so far in the league and seems to be lacking game time. Yedlin looks to be favoured under Steve Bruce but only after his injury, Manquillo has played regularly for some time.
On the other hand, Pellegrini has only two left-backs at his disposal- Pablo Zabaleta and Ryan Fredericks. The former Manchester City man is in the twilight of his career and has played very few games this term whereas, Fredericks has featured in almost every possible game for the Hammers.
The situation could get worse for Pellegrini’s side, who are already finding it difficult to play consistently while going into the second phase of the season.
Therefore, the Hammers must act upon their decision to bring in Javier Manquillo as early as January and allow him to settle with the team.
The Spanish right-back has been impressive in the few games he has played, especially against Pep Guardiola’s side, where the team’s second goal came after he forced Fernandinho to commit a foul and Jonjo Shelvey scored the equalizer from a free-kick.
And whenever he was given a chance he has done extremely well. He would also be a better upgrade for Zabaleta, whose age (34) might not be suitable to play in the rough conditions of the league.
Manquillo may not just be a backup for Ryan Fredericks but also with a healthy competition he can play the lead role whenever the manager decides to rotate his squad. He is sure to bring quality to the team and can excel for quite some time.
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Verdict
West Ham must not hesitate to take Manquillo on board in January. The Spaniard has got experience under his belt and he can adapt quickly to the conditions.
If the Hammers enter the market for a right-back in January, Manquillo would be the best option at a cut-price and they must act quickly with the planned £5m move to acquire his services.