David Moyes has preferred destinations if he has to lose West Ham United stalwart Michail Antonio
David Moyes doesn’t want to lose Michail Antonio to a rival in the relegation battle if the forward does leave West Ham, The Sun reports.
The Jamaica international has attracted interest from Wolves and Chelsea in the Premier League, and is now reportedly being looked at by sides in America.
But amid the latest injury crisis at the London Stadium the club are loath to let him go, despite the 32-year-old appearing unsettled.
Unlikely as it is on the club’s side that Antonio now leaves, given injuries to both summer signing and Gianluca Scamacca, and January arrival Danny Ings, Moyes would specifically prefer he didn’t join a side in competition with the Irons at the wrong end of the Premier League.
Wolves have improved since the arrival of Julen Lopetegui but are currently 17th, one place and one point behind West Ham in the table.
No-brainer
Craig Dawson has already boosted Wolves, and while there is an argument to never sell to a direct rival the popular defender had already been kept at the club longer than he hoped after coming close to the Molineux move in the summer.
Antonio hasn’t hit top form this season, amid a slump from the entire team that has seen the club fall into the relegation battle.
But letting him leave for Wolves as well would seem self-defeating given he has the quality to score goals with could prove crucial, so if he is going to go anywhere it would presumably have to depend on a decent offer from the US.
The Chelsea links are surprising given their already-bloated squad, and while they are struggling under Graham Potter they don’t seem like they are likely to become a direct rival in the fight against the drop, so may remain an outside option.
Unless Antonio actively agitates for a move though, there seems little prospect that he goes this month, with the injuries elsewhere in the squad once again upsetting transfer plans.
He has spoken openly on the Footballer’s Football Podcast about the team’s struggles after adapting a new style of play, and wasn’t personally giving up on a move on Thursday’s (26 January) episode.
With adequate cover available he would surely have earned himself an exit given his service to the club, but it looks difficult to do now, and Wolves are surely off the table.