Sky Sports reporter: Best for West Ham United and Nikola Vlasic to part ways this summer
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has insisted that West Ham should be looking to sell Nikola Vlasic this summer after his impressive World Cup campaign.
Vlasic’s £26.8million move to West Ham [BBC] turned into a disaster fairly quickly. After failing to settle down in east London, the 25-year-old was sent out on loan to Torino, where he’s enjoyed his football much more.
As a result of his good form in Italy, Vlasic was called up to the Croatia national team, where he appeared in all but one of their World Cup clashes en route to a third-placed finish.
With West Ham unlikely to bring him back into David Moyes’ side at the London Stadium, Sheth believes now is the ideal time for the Hammers to be looking for bids.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth said: “Maybe it is best for both parties in the summer if there’s a move that can materialise, be that to Torino or somewhere else.”
“I’m sure West Ham will have seen his performances for Croatia at the World Cup.
“It’s been a good shop window for Vlasic.”
Cash in
As good as Vlasic has been for both Torino and Croatia this season, there isn’t a clear path for him to make his way back into Moyes’ plans.
Frankly, the best option for everyone involved is a permanent transfer this summer. Vlasic seems to be enjoying his football in Italy and thriving, and he’s not being missed too much at the London Stadium.
It seems he simply wasn’t cut out for Premier League football, or the West Ham move came at the wrong time in his career.
Either way, West Ham’s full focus will now be on getting as much back from their initial fee as possible. Torino are bound to be one club interested in his signature and the Hammers may be able to drum up a bidding war if other teams were paying close attention for Vlasic’s World Cup performances.
It’s very unlikely that West Ham will be able to break even on their £26.8million investment, but selling Vlasic this summer looks far more valuable for the club than what he would have gone for had his form in east London continued.