West Ham will not sign Alex Kral permanently next season after loan ‘disaster’
David Moyes has made the decision not to sign 23-year-old midfielder Alex Kral permanently after his loan at West Ham expires, according to the Daily Star.
The Czech Republic international has played just one minute of Premier League football all season despite being one of just four natural central midfielders at the club.
Moyes has instead tended to use Manuel Lanzini or Pablo Fornals in the midfield two whenever either Declan Rice or Tomas Soucek have been unavailable.
The Daily Star say that “West Ham have no intention of signing him on a permanent basis,” even with an optional clause in his loan deal from Spartak Moscow. The report adds that Kral’s loan has been a “disaster” and he “has almost been completely exiled from the squad”.
There could be a mandatory clause in the contract if he plays a certain number of games but that looks unobtainable now given how little he has featured.
Won’t be a miss
There will be some West Ham fans out there who might have forgotten Kral was still at the club given how little he has played all season long.
The 23-year-old could have potential in him to become a star somewhere else but with Rice and Soucek having the midfield on lockdown, he was never going to get the opportunities he needed to shine.
His future doesn’t look fantastic with Spartak Moscow maybe not be a viable place to return to given the current ongoing world situation but let’s hope he finds something else for next season.
Moyes though needs to reinvest in his midfield with Mark Noble retiring and Rice potentially on his way out of the club.
If both happen, the Irons would be left with just Soucek in the middle of the park and no matter how good he is at covering the ground, he can’t do it on his own.
In other West Ham news, Michail Antonio has spoken about an unseen incident against Tottenham that left him shocked.
Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook for 24/7 updates on the Hammers plus more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.