(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Michail Antonio may well be approaching crunch time in his Hammers career with just seven games of the season left.
Speculation has been around for some time that the 29 year old is on thin ice under Manuel Pellegrini who needs to sell this summer in order to raise cash for reinforcements.
And £15 million rated Antonio may be the one player on the books he could be prepared to sacrifice as he looks to bring in his more favoured technical players.
The winger/striker and former Hammer of the Year has been a favourite with Hammers fans for four years and a contract until 2021 leaves the club in a position to get a good price.
With a striker, notably Maxi Gomez, high on his list of targets and with around £25m plus money raised from sales to play with, there’s a better than 50/50 chance of the former Nottingham Forest start being allowed to move on.
Palace – who have taken James Tomkins and Cheik Kouyate off us in recent seasons – looks the likely destination should that be the case.
The likes of Arthur Masuaku, Lucas Perez, Pedro Obiang could raise £15 million and Edmilson Fernandes looks set for a move to Firoentina at around £8 million.
Antonio has been very much a fringe figure this term and at one stage was known to be unhappy over the fact that even academy product Grady Diangana was preferred to him.
Were Pelle – or more correctly Mario Husillos – to move him on that would give the manager around over £60 million to splash out.
It’s a sacrifice he may be ready to make as the club enters its second season under him.
I will be very sad if Antonio is sold – and if Palace finish above us next season then we will look a bit stupid
he would be a great signing for any championship team. But I don’t much fancy him coming back to haunt us with one of his goal celebrations for a premier league rival.
He has been a favourite of mine for a couple of years due to his energy, attitude and ability to take on defenders on the right flank. However, this year he has squandered so many chances in front of goal that I think it’s right to look for a replacement. He’s had enough opportunities to improve and we’re desperate for goal scorers. With Yarmelenko hopefully returning next season to fill the RW position I feel Palace would be a good move for him.
Yarmelenko has yet to prove himself whereas Antonio has proven himself on many occasions . He is always up for it ,, some days better than others but that goes for any player in any club . It seems to me that some players are dragging out Thier injuries to avoid the games running up to the conclusion of this season . Antonio has the strength and will power to generate a win over the Toffees . Letting Tompins go was a massive mistake .
Antonio is a good quality reserve who offers something different but Pelle wants players that can play his system and often the end product of Antonio is not good enough, his goals tally tells us that but I would miss him, this season he has been better than last but if we can replace him with a player that gives more to the team then it is a sacrifice we would have to make.
Pellegrini would be mad to sell michail Antonio. You would not get anyone better in his position for our budget. Starting or off the bench he is a good player in my opinion. He would not be short of options that’s for sure.
Agree with above & Kevin on Yarmo.
Yes Antonio might not be technically gifted but he quick strong versatile & good work rate. Don’t want all tech players sometimes a battery ram like Antonio who will cause havoc for defences is good. He just needs to head the ball more but has been good this season. Only has one questionable season the last everyone wanted him out but Pellegrini doesn’t rush back players like Bilic did & I still believe that rush back to Swansea game weeks earlier led to surgery no preseason was way he was off last season.
And Antonio wouldn’t even get us that much £15m maybe worth more to keep. Yarmolenko could be a flop over long term or injury prone. Snodgrass is aging doesn’t have the pace. Besides Grady he is our only quick RWer & is CF cover or LW.
Sell Masuaku, Oxford if anyone can buy & if we sign Gomez then Arnie should make way even after is interview about he will shine and calling fans… He called Baz don’t know who else.
Keep Antonio. Sell Perez, Arthur, if we can Hugill Oxford & Byram…. Kouyate we even sold for cheap. Be lucky to get £15m for Obiang hasn’t player & Samporia & Fiorentina were around £8m over summer
Fernandes IMO £7m is a low buyout & if we buy Shelvey for £20m but sell Antonio for £15m be mad.