Julen Lopetegui has nowhere to hide at West Ham after Guido Rodriguez transfer decision
West Ham United signing Guido Rodriguez at Julen Lopetegui’s behest could prove to be a huge error of judgement from Tim Steidten.
The Daily Mail reported on 24 October that despite Steidten spearheading much of the Irons’ heavy spending over the summer transfer window, not all of their new signings were selected by the German.
The clearest example of this is Rodriguez, who arrived from Real Betis on a free transfer reportedly at Lopetegui’s request, and has been arguably the most disappointing of the new faces.
Rodriguez, 30, has been picked to start all of the Hammers’ first eight Premier League fixtures this season, and with other signings languishing on the bench, fans have been left scratching their heads.
Julen Lopetegui risking West Ham future on Guido Rodriguez
The Irons’ transfer outlay this summer was significant to say the least, spending well over £130million on nine new first-team signings as well as committing a further fee to buy Jean-Clair Todibo next summer [Sean Whetstone, 11 August].
With only Rodriguez and third-choice goalkeeper Wes Foderingham arriving on free transfers though, it’s odd to see why Lopetegui already seems so reliant on the Argentine to anchor his midfield.
Tomas Soucek and the exit-linked Edson Alvarez have strong track records in claret and blue, yet have become second-fiddle to Rodriguez, with PSG loanee Carlos Soler hardly getting a look-in so far.
Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme in particular have also barely been given a sniff of consistent first-team minutes, while Niclas Fullkrug’s persistent injury trouble has raised further questions.
Both Steidten and especially Lopetegui are coming under pressure after a dismal start to the new era, and the latter needs to switch things up sooner rather than later if he’s to change the narrative.
In other West Ham news, Michail Antonio has made a prediction of how one starlet’s career could pan out at the London Stadium.
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