West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini is keen to keep Pablo Zabaeta on board at the club for as long as possible but he knows the pair’s former club Manchester City are keeping an eye on the player’s long term future.
Zaba is just 11 appearances short of triggering a new West Ham one year contract but at 34 years old his long term future is now very much on his mind.
And although the idea of a West Ham coaching role has been mooted quietly within the club, City have made it clear they have a variety of options open for a guy who became a club hero during his time in Manchester.
Man City’s parent company is the City Football Group valued at over £2bn and owns New York City FC, Melbourne City FC, La Liga side Girona, a part-stake in Japanese team Yokahama Marinos , plus Uruguayan team, Club Atletico Torque.
And Zabalata was told by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarek when he left for east London that he can come back whenever he is ready and be handed a role within the club.
That could encompass a coaching role with one of City’s youth teams, or helping to identify talent in Spain and South America.
The man is such a model professional. It would be good to keep him with us in any capacity once he hangs up his boots.