West Ham United winger Maxwel Cornet has endured a torrid time at the London Stadium over the past 22 months.
Maxwel Cornet has played just 957 minutes of football for West Ham, since joining us from Burnley just under two years ago (Transfermarkt).
West Ham actually tried to sell the 27-year-old in the January window, but he remained at the London Stadium in the end.
The fact that the Hammers kept him at the club made absolutely no sense in the end, because he hardly played at all.
There was no rhyme or reason to David Moyes’s steadfast refusal to play Cornet – it just seemed like the Scot didn’t fancy him one little bit.
He was so frustrated last season, and sent a desperate plea to Moyes to actually given him a proper chance in the side.
The Ivory Coast international possesses blistering pace when he’s at full fitness, and he proved during his time with Lyon and Burnley that he can make a real difference at the very highest level.
He has scored the most goals against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City apart from one Lionel Messi remember, and that statistic tells us so much about his quality.
So could the former Clarets ace now be given a real chance to shine by Lopetegui, or will the Spaniard view him as someone who could fetch a decent fee this summer?
West Ham ace Maxwel Cornet to get new lease of life under Julen Lopetegui
The 57-year-old Hammers boss wants a close look at every single West Ham player during pre-season before deciding whether he will keep or sell them.
It has been claimed that the likes of Flynn Downes will be given a completely fresh start under Lopetegui, so why can’t the same happen with Cornet?
There’s absolutely no reason why he can’t be given a big chance to impress the former Wolves boss, and I think that’s exactly what he’ll get.
Cornet could serve as genuine backup for Jarrod Bowen out on the right wing. He’s more than capable of playing 15-20 games for us next season, and that would enable Bowen to remain fresh.
The Ivorian can also be deployed out wide on the left – a position where we’re incredibly weak right now – or even as an auxiliary striker if need be.
Maxwel Cornet has the skillset that West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui needs to inject into his side, what with his speed and directness.
He’s still under contract with the Hammers until the summer of 2027 (Transfermarkt), so Lopetegui may as well try and get a tune out of him this upcoming season. What’s the worst that could happen? His value can’t be much lower than it is right now anyway!
I still firmly believe that Cornet has something to offer West Ham, and we most definitely have not seen the best of him in a Hammers shirt just yet.
Let’s hope that Lopetegui’s arrival at the London Stadium gives the winger the new lease of life that he so desperately needs.
Who knows, Cornet might end up being like a new signing for the Spaniard!
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