Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson is foolish to urge West Ham United to cash-in on Sebastien Haller for not celebrating his late strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.
What’s the word?
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday [3/10/2020] ahead of the fourth round of Premier League fixtures, Merson suggested that thee Irons would be wise to seek a late transfer for Haller after the forward chose not to celebrate his 93rd-minute hit during the Irons’ 4-0 rout of Wolves.
Haller entered the action at the London Stadium as a late substitute for the third week in succession, as boss David Moyes once again opted against naming the £32.4million-rated striker in his Premier League starting line-up.
West Ham already had the game under wraps by the time Haller struck home his first league goal since February, but Merson feels the 26-year-old choosing not to celebrate portrayed worrying concerns of his commitment – or rather lack of – to the Hammers.
“You’ve got to celebrate,” Merson stated on Soccer Saturday. “For me, I’d sell him tomorrow morning after that.
“I would look at him and think, ‘you don’t really want to be here’. You’re playing the best sport in the world, you’ve just scored a goal. There’s no better feeling.”
Foolish suggestion
Merson is simply foolish to suggest West Ham ought to cash-in on Haller a year on from his club-record arrival, worth up to £45m, for not celebrating a goal that made no difference to the result, as the acclaim the Frenchman would truly be after is a starting role in Moyes’ plans.
Haller opened 24 of his 32 Premier League appearances during his maiden term in England but has not taken to the field for a kick-off since before last season was paused in March, some 12 fixtures ago now.
Moyes has offered the 26-year-old starting opportunities in the Carabao Cup since, in which Haller has found the net four times and penned one assist, and yet he remains on the bench when the league action resumes.
Celebrating against Wolves deep into stoppage-time, having only entered the action with two minutes of regular time on the clock, would show Haller to be content with his new back-up position to Michail Antonio, something that would be a far graver concern to Moyes than a striker not celebrating an almost meaningless goal in the grand scheme of things.
AND in other news, West Ham risk unsettling David Moyes’ plans with a move to sign a 39-cap player once signed for £47.5million.