West Ham Look to have made an excellent decision in the transfer window by not getting their options and obligations the wrong way round.
Of the two players on loan at the London Stadium from French clubs, only one currently seems worth retaining.
Jean-Clair Todibo is on a rental deal with the Hammers, but this loan reportedly becomes a permanent arrangement if the defender reaches a certain, albeit unknown, number of first-team appearances and the Hammers avoid the drop. While specifics remain unclear, Fabrizio Romano reported last month that Todibo is a West Ham player in all but name, with the £35 million permanent deal expected to go through without issue.
Carlos Soler, on the other hand, is only an option to buy, meaning the Hammers aren’t obliged to make the Spanish midfielder a permanent fixture—thankfully!
The PSG loanee has had an underwhelming start in London, leaving many of us still uncertain about his true playing style. Initially, I thought the former Valencia star might act as understudy to Lucas Paquetá, and that may yet be the case.
However, from what I’ve seen so far, Soler seems a bit hot-headed and cautious, showing little inclination to challenge opposition defences with flashes of creativity.
In Sunday’s match against Manchester United, Soler was oddly positioned on the left wing—as I call it “the graveyard shift”—where he was, frankly, invisible. Statistics say he made ten passes during the game, but I struggle to recall even three.
Perhaps he was wearing camouflage, as his chameleon-like performance baffled me. According to the number crunchers, Soler completed zero dribbles—not exactly shocking, but his second-half replacement, Summerville, highlighted just how ineffective the PSG loanee had been.
Soler’s option to buy stands at £27 million, and whoever negotiated that arrangement instead of an obligation to buy has saved West Ham a considerable sum. Of course, with more than two-thirds of the season left, he might still show us what he’s made of. But as things stand, it’s hard to imagine him sticking around East London for much longer.
