Ben Johnson should beg David Moyes to let him quit West Ham United for good in January, career in serious jeopardy
West Ham United defender Ben Johnson has swiftly become an unfortunate afterthought at the London Stadium and he may beg David Moyes to let him quit for good in January.
Sean Whetstone, the editor of 6foot2, tweeted on Tuesday (19 September) that the 23-year-old defender and midfielder Connor Coventry will be allowed to leave as free agents next summer once their deals expire.
However, the Hammers man may well have to fast-track those plans with his limited opportunities at the club unlikely to improve with 31-year-old Vladimir Coufal David Moyes’ undisputed starter at right-back.
The Hammers could look to cash in on both players in January, with Johnson having more transfer value due to his experience in the first team.
Claret and Hugh reported on 18 October that the 23-year-old is set to be available for a transfer in the January window despite being offered a new deal at the London Stadium.
The online source has reported on its website that the 24-year-old is unhappy with the terms being offered at the London Stadium and is now set for a summer exit which certainly means that he could well beg Moyes to accept any offers that come his way.
Everton are understood to be keen on a potential move, with Southampton and even Luton named as possible destinations moving forward and should any of those clubs guarantee first-team minutes, Johnson will jump at the chance.
It only feels like yesterday when Johnson was offered a mega new six-year contract by the club, with his exit now likely after that was also batted away.
There were big hopes for the young defender, but he hasn’t kicked on enough to prove himself yet and given that the likes of Everton and Southampton are interested, that may show his current level.
Emerson and Vladimir Coufal have been concrete options for Moyes over the past year, and he hasn’t been able to shift them aside to cement his own spot in the side, making just 17 appearances last season and being restricted to the one this time around.
It is always best to move someone on rather than them rotting on the bench and literally giving you no benefits rather than collecting a wage every week.
But from Johnson’s point of view, his development and learning at the top level have been seriously hampered this past year. At the age of 23, he needs to be playing regularly to get his career back on track and it’s why a January exit will be the best solution for all parties.
In other West Ham news, one Hammers star was anonymous again v Everton, Moyes has a crucial decision to make or face an unfortunate sack decision.