West Ham United told to get rid of Ben Johnson despite him living the dream at London Stadium
Frank McAvennie feels Ben Johnson should be allowed to move on from West Ham United this summer upon the expiry of his contract.
The 24-year-old is reportedly in talks to extend his terms at the London Stadium despite being strongly linked with an exit [Standard].
And McAvennie – speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone – feels the club can upgrade on the Hammers academy graduate.
“Now [is the right time for Ben Johnson to move on],” McAvennie said.
“He’s not getting a game. I like him, but he’s not hit the ground [running]. West Ham have been playing badly and he’s still not nailed a place down. You go, ‘Well, when’s your time?’ They’re playing him in midfield, they’re playing him right-back. I think we can get better than that. And it doesn’t seem to bother him, he’s walking off the pitch all happy – but I’d be raging if I wasn’t playing. I would want players that have a fire in their belly. You’re allowed to get annoyed sometimes.
“I think the boy’s just living the dream. But I don’t think he’s got enough fight in his belly to get in and make a stand and say, ‘I’m going to be number one.’ Has he got that in his belly? Because that’s what you need in the Premier League, you can’t just go in and be like, ‘I’ll play for him because he’s injured.’ You’ve got to go in and say, ‘This is mine. This is my spot now. You’re not getting it back.’ You’ve got to be ruthless and do that. There’s a few players at West Ham that didn’t have that last year.”
Should West Ham United let Ben Johnson leave for free?
Johnson managed just 854 minutes of football for the Hammers last season in all competitions, racking up only 534 minutes of action across 14 Premier League appearances.
If incoming boss Julen Lopetegui does not expect to rely on the 24-year-old any more than that in 2024/25, it makes sense for the player to move on.
However, the Englishman’s versatility makes him a useful squad option, as he is able to play on either flank or in midfield. Given the scale of the rebuild expected to occur at West Ham this summer, keeping a versatile cover player could be useful.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are at risk of looking silly after the latest Tim Steidten summer transfer find.
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