Maxwel Cornet omission from West Ham United friendly throws up January transfer window dilemma
West Ham attacker Maxwel Cornet’s fitness concerns were multiplied by his exclusion against Fulham on Saturday (17 December) and could subsequently tempt David Moyes to dip into the January transfer market.
The Hammers were set to welcome the Ivorian winger back to action after the World Cup following a thigh injury sustained earlier this season, according to ExWHUemployee, but this team news suggests the contrary.
The 26-year-old joined the London Stadium from Burnley in the summer for around £17million but has been sidelined for large portions of the season, managing to make just five appearances this season.
But as West Ham’s official Twitter page released the starting XI for their match against Fulham, the attacker was nowhere to be seen.
With David Moyes’ side failing to find any kind of rhythm in front of goal this season, the attacker was set to play a key role in trying to ignite a blunt Hammers forward line.
Gianluca Scamacca has delivered just two goals in 13 Premier League appearances since his marquee summer move from Sassuolo, so the burden will fall upon the likes of Cornet after the new year.
But considering he didn’t feature against Fulham, Moyes will likely have to rely on the misfiring Italian forward and Jared Bowen for goals in the meantime – with Lucas Paqueta still recovering from his stint with Brazil at the Qatar World Cup.
Where Moyes’ goals will come from is a pressing concern, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Hammers dip into the January market for fresh attacking options.
Even if Cornet gets fit, can he be truly trusted to deliver on a weekly basis and stay away from the West Ham medical table?
Seemingly, despite significant investment in the squad during the summer, there are glaring holes in Moyes’ forward line, with plenty of options in advanced midfield positions but no potent goalscorers.
With a trip to the Emirates awaiting on Boxing Day, Moyes will hope he can reverse the fortunes of his seriously underperforming attack.