Darren Bent uses West Ham signing to take fresh swipe at Manchester United
Darren Bent took aim at Manchester United by mentioning one West Ham player who has shone since moving to East London.
West Ham fans have certainly been through the wringer this season, sitting 16th in the Premier League table following Julen Lopetegui’s short, yet disastrous 22-game reign at the London Stadium.
Graham Potter has done his best to pick up the pieces in East London since replacing Lopetegui last month, and picked up his second win in charge on Saturday with an impressive 1-0 win over Arsenal.
Few of last summer’s new signings have truly established themselves at West Ham amid frequent runs of inconsistent results under both Lopetegui and Potter, but one has certainly stood above the rest.
Darren Bent hails Aaron Wan-Bissaka in Manchester United jibe
The Hammers’ victory over Arsenal at the Emirates saw Wan-Bissaka come to the fore with another impressive display, and Darren Bent argued Manchester United have been made to regret selling him.
Speaking on talkSPORT (24 February, 4:42pm), Bent and Andy Goldstein discussed the fortunes of both the Irons and the Red Devils; with the latter only being above West Ham in the table on goal difference.
Bent said: “Wan-Bissaka has been brilliant since he got there, [at] West Ham. That’s another one you [Manchester United] let go. He’s better than what you’ve got [now].”
Wan-Bissaka proving his point at West Ham United
Having shelled out almost £50million to sign him from Crystal Palace in 2019, Manchester United saw fit to sell Wan-Bissaka to West Ham for £15m five years later, and they’re certainly feeling the £35m deficit.
Both on and off the pitch, the Red Devils are feeling the pinch, as they undergo their worst ever Premier League season on record while Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS make sweeping cuts to staffing at Old Trafford.
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists |
| 2024/25 – at West Ham | 25 | 23 | 2 | 2 |
| 2023/24 – at Manchester United | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 |
As a result, it’s strange to see why Manchester United didn’t attempt to force more than £15m out of West Ham’s coffers when selling Wan-Bissaka to the Irons last summer, given the impact he’s made.
Notoriously shy of shooting and even less likely to score goals during his time in red, Wan-Bissaka has already netted twice for West Ham this season and has been an ever-present on the right flank.
Of West Ham’s summer signings, only Max Kilman has featured more often, but there’s no denying that the £15m paid for Wan-Bissaka has proven to be an absolute steal for the London Stadium hierarchy.