https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Ld6tJCwIo
West Ham have a double decision looming on Toni Martinez’s future as the club heads towards the second half of the season.
The goal machine Spaniard – signed from Valencia last summer for £2.75 million last year – has a clause in the contract which involves a further payment to his former club once he breaks into the first team.
West Ham are keeping that under wraps claiming it to be “confidential ” but it is thought to be in the region of around £1.5 million.
However, with his current deal expiring in June 2019, he will soon be approaching it’s halfway mark and the club need to see him performing at the highest possible level before deciding on a new deal.
The alternative is to send him out on loan to a top Championship club after his spell at Oxford where he scored just once in eight starts and seven substitute appearances last term.
That suggests the youngster still has some uestions to answer as he steps into the higher grades of the game.
He is of course the first Iron to score a hat-trick at the London Stadium – grabbing the match ball after the 4-2 win against Manchester United last month.
He scored two more in the 3-1 victory over Bristol Rovers in the Checkatrade Trophy match on to add to the nine he has scored for the under 23s ths season and the 34 in 36 games since he arrived at the club.
I know he isn’t the same player…
but can you remember that Freddie sears used to score goals for fun in that division.. and yet.. he’s been a championship player.
Then you have Elliot lee who tore that division up as well… yet…
He’s not doing so great…
I’m not putting them in the same category because Martinez looks a real player…
But maybe waiting and not giving him a first team call up is simply them still trying to nurture his talent.. instead of putting him on the big stage and then having the chance to fail.
I think they are nurturing him and trying to set him up to succeed..
I don’t know.. just a theory guys.
Tell me what you think?
Toni is now 20, and the problem of sending him out at this stage, is that he has to adjust to a new environment, new players, and a new manager.
At West Ham, he has established very good playing patterns with players like Holland, Haksabanovic, Samelsen, Rice, Browne, Quina, Pask etc., all players we hope will graduate into the first team when Slav leaves. While he is scoring so consistently, I’d keep him here..
AC and Sakho are unlikely long-term strikers, so this is one guy who must be very close to first team play. I think he is a really good goal poacher!
I’m always in favor of loan deals; it gets players experience and tests them playing against men. On the other hand, this kid is obviously not the norm. 34 in 36 games out-strips anyone in recent history.
Now we can see the real reason that he is not even on the bench; £1.5 mil. It’s a fair reason, but with Sahko non-committed and Carroll always likely to get injured, we might have to keep him with us just in case. Playing in the freight whatsit trophy must show something to the coaches. He has to play against 1st. team grown-ups, and has done very well. Winning that trophy could be the making of him.
Ihe shouldn’t start but there is no reason esp w such a thin Squad and now w all these Injuries not to mention Sahko cost extra £15k just to sit on bench and has publicly said he is gone in Jan.
Toni being on the bench would be a good thing and if he could get 10m or so that would help boost his confidence either way & get him used to first team squad. Tho he didn’t score in preseason he looked good & was given a squad # w Rice like he would be given chances.
I like the loan system too but making sure it is the right team is important & you can also over do it. Some say he didn’t do well w Oxford he only scored 3 in 15 or so not great but that was all really new to him & he is a very rounded players physical not just goals in his game tho in U23s he has been non stop goals natural finisher.
A spot on the bench wouldn’t hurt him & Sahko isn’t part of our Future sell him in Jan & get a DM