West Ham: Pablo exit would be most spectacular case of failing upwards

West Ham United flop Pablo did very little to help his new side avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Brazilian forward was signed in the winter transfer window for a fee of around £20million.

He started several games under Nuno Espirito Santo, despite the disbelief constantly shown by supporters.

Despite that, the 22-year-old could still secure a move that he does not deserve at all in the coming weeks.

It may be the most spectacular case of failing upwards that we have seen in the game.

Why is Pablo's potential move to Lazio so baffling?

The young striker moved to the Hammers from Gil Vicente and had a neglible effect on their season.

A report from Il Messaggero claims that Lazio have been offered the opportunity to sign the Hammers man.

He failed to score in 17 matches and only managed one assist, which definitely did not help in the bid for Premier League survival.

His potential move to the Biancocelesti would be one of the most baffling moves that supporters have ever seen.

To struggle and help the Hammers get relegated and move to a club that are usually European regulars would be sensational for the player.

What do the underlying numbers say about Pablo's West Ham stint?

Pablo is contracted until 2030, but it is still unlikely that the Irons can demand anywhere near the fee that they paid for him.

They would have to take a loss to sell him on, but that would be worth it, given the underlying numbers.

In 14 top-flight matches, he created 1.05 expected goals and 1.12 expected assists, per Sofascore, which is a dismal return.

He averaged just 0.2 shots on target per game, and created two big chances for his teammates.

He was relatively comfortable on the ball, completing 64 per cent of his dribble attempts, and losing possession just 7.3 times per game.

However, overall, his influence was nowhere near the level expected for a player signed for £20m and the E20 club will regret his signature.

If he was to somehow earn a move to the Italian side based on those numbers, it would be one of the most unjustified switches that the modern game has seen.

The likes of Jarrod Bowen, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Crysencio Summerville could earn big moves, but they would deserve it, Pablo would not.