The Sun were reporting earlier this week that Edimilson Fernandes is set to complete an £8million move from West Ham to Bundesliga side Mainz.
This feels a bit premature, as at 23-years-old the Switzerland international has time to grow and hasn’t ever put in a worryingly bad performance in claret and blue.
He has spent this season on loan at Fiorentina and performed well, starting 23 times and coming off the bench in six league games as La Viola narrowly avoided relegation.
According to WhoScored, he completed an average of 1.2 tackles per game and recorded a pass success rate of 85.8%.
With Manuel Pellegrini’s proposed style of play in mind, there are midfielders that should be offloaded before Fernandes is dismissed.
One such man is Pedro Obiang, as his 80% pass success rate indicates he doesn’t fit the system as well as Fernandes perhaps would.
Another factor which should be considered is that West Ham would likely be able to command a higher fee for Obiang, which is important considering the transfer budget this summer is believed to be limited and depends on adding funds from player sales.
Fernandes also has versatility on his side, which he showed before going out on loan when he put in a Man of the Match performance and scored against Chelsea in the cup – all from right wing-back, an unnatural position for him.
With the sale imminent, it is difficult to put thoughts aside that he could have been a great asset for the Hammers.
