West Ham Opinion: Hammers links with Maxime Gonalons hardly makes any sense
According to claims from French news outlet L’Equipe, West Ham and Everton are set to go head to head in a transfer tug of war over Roma midfielder Maxime Gonalons, with reports claiming that the Premier League duo are looking to bolster their midfield options.
Gonalons spent this past season on loan at Sevilla in the La Liga but L’Equipe understands that the Spanish outfit are not willing to sign the 30-year-old Frenchman permanently, whilst Roma are also prepared to get him off their books.
Gonalons struggled with a number of injuries and made only 13 appearances in all competitions in the 2018-19 season, which is probably why Sevilla are not prepared to trigger the buy option in the loan agreement.
A youth product of Lyon, Gonalons made his first-team debut back in 2009 and went on to establish himself as one of the best central defensive midfielders in Ligue 1, carving out a massive reputation for himself over the course of his eight seasons in the French top-flight.
The 30-year-old made a total of 334 appearances for his boyhood club in all competitions, registering 13 goals and 12 assists, before completing a move to the Serie A with Roma back in the summer of 2017.
However, things didn’t quite go according to the script for the former French international following his switch to Roma, with Gonalons making only 16 Serie A appearances in his first season due to a number of injuries.
Deemed surplus to demands at Roma, Gonalons was loaned out to Sevilla last summer, with an option to buy included in the agreement. Things, however, didn’t change much for the veteran and his downward spiral since his departure from Lyon continued, with the 30-year-old starting only 5 games in the La Liga this past season.
To put things into perspective, Gonalons was one of the best defensive midfielders even a few years ago but a number of setbacks due to injuries over the past couple of campaigns have derailed his career. The 30-year-old just hasn’t played enough games since ending his association with Lyon and West Ham’s interest in the Frenchman doesn’t really make a lot of sense.
As harsh as it might sound, Gonalons,30, is past his prime and it would be extremely difficult for him to rediscover his old form and maintain his fitness levels in the intensifying atmosphere of the Premier League. He is no longer the tireless worker in the middle of the park that he was in his younger days at Lyon and signing him this summer would only compound West Ham’s woes.
It is true that the Hammers need to find an ideal partner for youngster Declan Rice in central midfield, given that the likes of Carlos Sanchez and Pedro Obiang have struggled to make an impact during their stay at the London Stadium. Mark Noble is nearing the latter stages of his career at 32, and although he did a good job last season, the Hammers need to look for younger replacements in the market.
Jack Wilshere once again reminded the fans in his debut season at East London that his health cannot be trusted, with the former Arsenal man only making a handful of appearances for Manuel Pellegrini’s side this past season.
Also, West Ham need to reduce the average age of their squad and their inclination towards signing aged players in the market isn’t going to help them in the longer run. The Hammers already have a lot of deadwood in their ranks and signing Gonalons, who is already past his prime, is only going to increase their wage bill.
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Keeping that in mind, West Ham would be better off dropping their interest in the 30-year-old French veteran and the Hammers need to shift their focus towards young and talented players in the transfer window.
