Important to preface and qualify the ‘get lucky’ title: Whilst it certainly applies to West Ham United in this instance, it is not so lucky for the player concerned and our thoughts go out to him for a speedy recovery.
September ’25 saw the deal concluded to sell Nayef Aguerd to Marseille for £20 million – at the time selling Aguerd without replacing him in the last few days of the transfer window was seen as a massive gamble and one that led to the Irons starting the season with only Kilman, Todibo and Mavropanos as front- line defenders. Indeed some would say the whole reliance on sub standard Max Kilman for the first half of this season – and the Hammers’ sorry plight – can be traced back to selling and not replacing the Moroccan.
The squad gap was plugged – temporarily, in true West Ham fashion, by Igor Julio on loan rather than with the arrival of a permanent signing as fans had hoped, Charlie Cresswell being top of the wish list.
It turns out that West Ham sold Aguerd at just the right moment: The defender had been struggling the previous season with crippling knee pain whilst on loan at Real Sociedad and, revealing the true state of his fitness after undergoing surgery, Aguerd has finally admitted on an Instagram post announcing his surgery:
Aguerd goes under the knife – with a long rehab likely.
“Since October, [that is just one month after West Ham’s £20 million sale!] I’ve been suffering from pain that has become a constant part of my daily life. From waking up until going to bed, and sometimes even during the night, it had become permanent.”
‘Liked’ by Hammers defender El Hadji Malick Diouf who sent a reply wishing Aguerd a speedy recovery, West Ham fans will likewise wish Aguerd, a 2023 ECL medal winner, a speedy recovery and at the same time thank the footballing gods that the £20 million deal went through before Aguerd’s body gave out. Just.
I see the Mickey Mousers let us down again, as I’ve said on here before, the only thing you can rely on them for is to show up against us at Anfield and batter us. I’m starting to think it’s personal now!
Aguerd helped us to win the ECL. Wishing the poor guy well. He had something. The deal was skilfully concluded by Tim Steidten, who also brought in the previously much maligned but now flavour of the month Dinos 😉