Maxwel Cornet travels to finalise last-minute West Ham United loan exit
West Ham United attacker Maxwel Cornet is travelling to Southampton to finalise a last-minute loan exit, according to The Athletic.
The outlet reported on its live blog on Friday (30 August) that the Ivorian is heading to the South Coast to put the finishing touches on his agreement with the Saints ahead of a season-long loan at St Mary’s.
Julen Lopetegui’s side have allowed the 27-year-old to leave the London Stadium this summer as the former Real Madrid manager continues to revamp the squad left behind at the London Stadium by David Moyes last season.
Will Maxwel Cornet exit West Ham amid Southampton transfer rumours?
For whatever reason, Cornet has never been able to hit the heights expected of him in a Hammers shirt and it seems as though time may have run out for him to show that he is capable of shining at the London Stadium.
Lopetegui and Tim Steitden have moved quickly to bolster their attacking options this summer with the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Luis Guilherme and Niclas Fullkrug all arriving in East London.
That steady string of arrivals throughout the transfer window has seen Cornet fall further and further down the pecking order as the summer has worn on. Neither the player nor the club will want to see him stuck on the bench for the rest of the season.
A move to Southampton should allow him to play regularly in the Premier League and while that may not benefit the Hammers immediately, it could well help drum up some interest in the winger over the coming months.
On top of that, West Ham will have got yet another first-team wage off of their books. While that may not seem that important, it could well help the Irons dodge any potential PSR breaches.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are now in advanced talks for one defender to exit on loan in the final hours of the window
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