AS PART of the exodus from West Ham this summer, several players were on West Ham’s ‘ship out at all costs’ list which would have been preoccupying their recruitment team ever since the Hammers’ fate was sealed, despite beating Leeds on the last day of the season. A case of too little, too late.
For the relegated West Ham squad was, most definitely, a divided group with many players agitating to depart, as Nils Koppen’s frank interview confirmed.
Near the head of the list was defender Aaron Wan Bissaka, in a dramatic contrast of form compared with the season before, when he was pretty universally acclaimed as Hammer of the Year and seen as a ‘steal’ for the £15 million quid paid to Manchester United for his signature.
Few fans will lament his leaving: Aaron Wan Bissaka’s West Ham career was a tale of two seasons
The right back’s form fell off a cliff in his second season at London Stadium and his relationship with the management headed similarly south after DR Congo’s would cup qualifier celebration. Wan Bissaka dallied for a week of open top buses and national partying whilst his fellow team mates fought a cup quarter final and a relegation battle in his absence. No wonder Nuno wanted him gone.
Shipped out to Aston Villa on loan, Wan Bissaka was most definitely one of those who considered himself ‘too posh’ for the Championship. Since the terms of the loan obligation agreed with Villa have been kept secret, it is difficulty to gauge how close West Ham are to shipping him out permanently. So far, the right back has made four Premier League appearances plus one Carabao Cup and one Champions League appearance.
Which would suggest that, thus far, new manager Unai Emery seems to be happy with the right back .. fingers crossed that the player’s stays on track and West Ham get to offload him permanently come May next year.