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West Ham United show new ruthless side with Conor Coventry transfer decision
Given the exciting nature of the recent transfer window from a West Ham perspective, an update provided on Tuesday [19 September] regarding two players on their way out of the club will likely generate little attention.
According to 6foot2 editor Sean Whetstone, the Hammers have decided against offering new contracts to Ben Johnson and Conor Coventry, meaning both are set to become free agents next summer.
Beyond the obvious question of why exactly didn’t West Ham try to offload the pair in the most recent window for some sort of profit, this development only highlights just how strong a squad David Moyes is building.
Johnson played 29 times for West Ham in all competitions last season and has twice been voted as the club’s Young Player of the Year.
Coventry, also 23, has had four spells out on loan in the English Football League with Lincoln City, Peterborough United, MK Dons and Rotherham United.
Rather ruthlessly, it has been deemed that the pair do not have a part to play at the London Stadium.
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Some may feel retaining ‘one of our own’ would be the wiser decision, even if only as back-up options who are given a run-out at times of need.
However, as a club now competing regularly in Europe – and indeed winning silverware on the continent – a wider pool of players has become available to choose from in the transfer window.
A case in point being the addition of Mohammed Kudus, a player who not long ago would have been out of West Ham’s reach both in terms of value and indeed quality.
When you can spend around £65million to bring in players of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez’s quality, what chance does Coventry really have?
Ultimately, the Irishman has not ever truly showed he has the quality to challenge for a first-team spot in East London, and this therefore provides him with some clarity ahead of the January window.
As nice as it would have been to see Coventry – and indeed Johnson – put on the claret and blue shirt for years to come, this decision shows the brutal reality of life trying to make it as a Premier League footballer.
Hopefully, Coventry can find himself a new club and go on and enjoy a successful career away from West Ham.
In other West Ham news, Moyes has revealed the influence Wayne Rooney had on him as he tried to move on from Declan Rice’s summer exit.