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West Ham United are now no longer a team languishing at the foot of the table, struggling for survival; instead, they are potential contenders for a spot in the top six next season. The recent additions of Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko are real statements of intent for the Hammers, and the pair will undoubtedly pose a huge threat to opposition's defences.
But now, with the new signings coming in, there needs to be a rethink regarding the players in the squad who simply don't deserve their places. There's a handful of mere deadwood in the West Ham set-up that needs to be offloaded sooner rather than later, if they want to have a squad packed with stars.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the four players West Ham should sell this summer.
4. Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta hit his peak several years ago and has been on a gradual decline since then.
Since joining the Premier League in 2008 after being signed by Manchester City for £7.8m from Espanyol, Zabaleta has enjoyed nine years of football at the highest level. His appearances for City have decreased considerably in his last few seasons, with age being a primary factor in why he was unable to keep up with the opposition.
When City put Zabaleta up for sale in the summer of 2017, most pundits expected him to seek football abroad, as his standard of football was simply no longer up to par with the Premier League. What a surprise it was, then, when West Ham signed him on a free transfer. Understandably, many fans couldn't understand why he had been brought into the club, as he offered very little. It was desperation and West Ham fans knew it.
However, due to the sheer lack of depth in the right-back role, Zabaleta played 37 out of 38 Premier League games last season. Despite the fact he was a liability in defence, West Ham were forced to play him as they had no other options. He picked up nine yellow cards over the course of the campaign and set up just one goal.
Zabaleta is now 33-years-old. He's not going to get any better and his value is only going to depreciate. West Ham should ship him out and replace him with a younger, more robust right-back if their aim is truly to finish in the top six.
Where might Pablo Zabaleta go?
There hasn't been any concrete transfer speculation surrounding Zabaleta as of yet, but the most likely destination, should he leave, would probably be Spain. Zabaleta could still do a decent job for a mid-table La Liga side and could possibly even return to Espanyol to see out his career.
3. Robert Snodgrass
To put it bluntly: Robert Snodgrass is not Premier League standard. After having joined West Ham in the summer of 2016 for a staggering £10.2m, Snodgrass made a total of 15 appearances for the Hammers in the Premier League, with his only impact being the two assists he racked up.
Understandably, Snodgrass was shipped out on loan the following season to Aston Villa in the Championship. This is a league that's much more suited to his ability and it showed. He featured in 43 out of 46 games, scoring seven goals and assisting a respectable 14. Aston Villa reached the Play-Off Finals that same year, but were beaten by Fulham and denied promotion to the Premier League.
It's clear that Snodgrass plays his best football in a lower league, so it would be both Snodgrass' and West Ham's best interests that he be moved on this summer, as he doesn't meet the requirements to be a Hammers player.
Where might Robert Snodgrass go?
Steve Bruce is keen on bringing Snodgrass back to Villa Park for next season, according to BirminghamMail. If this move was to happen, it would be great for Snodgrass in terms of his career because, as we all know, he'd only languish on the bench or in the reserves if he was to return to West Ham for another season.
2. Jordan Hugill
West Ham were involved in yet another bizarre signing last season, after they bought Jordan Hugill from Preston for £9m. As they were with the Snodgrass deal, Hammers fans were perplexed as to why so much had been spent on an unestablished striker. Football London believes that "Hugill was brought in just in case the Hammers were relegated last season but as it transpired, they weren't and Hugill is not likely to be part of new manager Manuel Pellegrini's thoughts for the upcoming season".
Before Hugill joined West Ham in January, he had never played at Premier League level; the highest tier he had reached was the Championship with Preston North End. Hugill spent the remainder of the season on the bench at West Ham, save for a total of three appearances, in which he didn't score once.
Some were wondering if perhaps West Ham's plan with Hugill is to develop him and then sell him on for profit. But he's already depreciated in value to £7.2m, which is a loss of £1.8m - and it's only been six months. It would be best if West Ham accepted their mistake and sold Hugill this summer, before his value decreases any more.
Where might Jordan Hugill go?
QPR boss, Steve McClaren, has made his interest in the 26-year-old known this summer, and will try to capture Hugill on a season-long loan. There are a number of other Championship clubs interested in his services, but it seems like the London-based club will be the frontrunners for his signature.
1. Andy Carroll
There's no doubt that when Andy Carroll does play, he can change games. His aerial ability is excellent, and he often beats defenders to the ball with ease.
But it's how frequently he gets injured that has made him a huge gamble for any club he signs with. Even as of writing, Carroll is set to undergo ankle surgery that will rule him out of action until October this year.
Given just how much Carroll is paid (rumoured to be around £93.5k-per-week) he's a huge liability to West Ham right now, and they need to get him off the books as soon as possible if they want to save money.
Where might Andy Carroll go?
Carroll could fit into any Premier League team, but whether he would stay fit during that time is the crucial factor to be considered. TalkSport reported that Turkish side Besiktas have declared their interest in the 29-year-old, which wouldn't be a bad move for Carroll, as it'd give him a new challenge in a new country.
