Julen Lopetegui has a seriously important job on his hands when he takes over as the new West Ham United manager this summer.
There is big change lying ahead at West Ham, with Julen Lopetegui set to replace the outgoing David Moyes this summer.
The Spaniard has a serious amount of work to do at the London Stadium, and is allegedly planning to make six top-class new signings this summer.
I think he’ll actually need to bring in more new additions than that, especially with so many players set to leave this summer.
Up to 12 Hammers have been linked with the London Stadium exit door, but there’s one man who’s not even on that list who should be the first man Lopetegui moves on.
It may well surprise a few people but someone who has played an integral role under Moyes is now such a weak-link for us, that he needs to be sold urgently.
The Spaniard needs to get rid of Kurt Zouma as soon as he steps foot inside the London Stadium. I mean, he was absolutely dreadful against Luton Town today, and couldn’t even get around the pitch.
He’s certainly not captain material, and has proven that on multiple occasions this season, most recently just last weekend when he walked straight down the tunnel after our 5-0 hammering at Chelsea.
Most important job for Julen Lopetegui will be to sell West Ham man
West Ham signed Zouma from London rivals Chelsea in the summer of 2021 for around £25 million (talkSPORT).
Initially, it seemed like the Hammers had secured a coup – the 29-year-old centre-back was an absolute rock for us during his first two seasons at the London Stadium.
A tower of strength at the back for West Ham, Zouma cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s very best central defenders.
However, cracks started to appear last term. The Frenchman picked up a few knee problems and seemed like he lost his pace entirely.
Zouma’s legs seem to be totally shot now. He can hardly move around without limping and just seems like he’s a serious injury waiting to happen.
Every time he goes to ground it looks like he’s struggling to get back up. Sprinting back into position also seems very problematic for the centre-back at the moment.
There were concerns about Zouma’s knee injuries before he signed for West Ham. It was rumoured at the time that David Sullivan was concerned about spending such vast amounts of money on the centre-back.
In my opinion, he’s completely finished at the London Stadium, as harsh as that may well sound.
If Julen Lopetegui is serious about guiding West Ham to any kind of success over the next few years, selling Kurt Zouma should be his first port of call.
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