West Ham loan extension on hold after positive COVID test delays talks
The extension of West Ham defender Frederik Alves’ loan at Sunderland has been delayed after the 22-year-old returned a positive COVID-19 test.
Alves is among a number of Sunderland players who have contracted the virus and talks have broken down over his future at the Stadium of Light, according to the Sunderland Echo.
The Danish youth international has only featured three times for the Black Cats in League One despite playing the majority of their cup matches.
New Start Needed
While Sunderland boss Lee Johnson is keen to have a discussion over Alves’ future, he really needs to take initiative himself and make Johnson’s decision for him.
Playing as little as he is wouldn’t be as much of a problem if he was only 17 or 18 years of age but as a 22-year-old, he has to be playing every single week if he has any ambitions of breaking into the Hammers’ first team.
David Moyes’ defensive problems could arguably open a door for him to break through with limited options in the centre of defence but if he can’t get into Johnson’s side, he has no hope in the Premier League.
If he could find a way into the Sunderland side, he would have done so by now. He needs to go somewhere else and play.
Whether he goes elsewhere in League One or even drops down to League Two. he needs to get proper minutes under his belt to put himself in the shop window.
A 22-year-old who can’t get a game in League One is unlikely to receive a contract extension in the Premier League so these final few months of the season could be the chance for Alves to show his talents to the wider footballing world.
In other West Ham news, the club needs to be prepared to challenge super rich PL club for Norwich star.