It could be time for West Ham to finally offload Manuel Lanzini this summer...

What's the word?

According to El Intransigente, the Irons are prepared to sell the 28-year-old midfielder as he's no longer an integral part of the squad, often finding himself out of the starting XI, and his former club River Plate are keen to bring him back to Argentina.

Lanzini only signed a contract extension in 2019, keeping him at the Hammers until 2023 after joining the east London club for £9m three years earlier.

Claret & Hugh also believe the attacking maestro is available for transfer if the right price is offered, but it remains to be seen exactly how much that is. The five-time international is currently valued at just €7m (£6m) by CIES Football Observatory and is thought to be raking in around £70,000 per week as one of the Irons' highest earners.

Stealing a living

Barring the odd stunner - that goal against Tottenham this season springs to mind - Lanzini has not been the same player since he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament back in 2018.

Given his age, he's rather unlikely to ever get back to his best - or at least the level required for a likely European battle next term.

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In the last three seasons, the Argentina playmaker has failed to score more than one goal and provide more than two assists in the Premier League. That's a total of two goals and four assists across three years, as per WhoScored, and that is simply not good enough.

The Hammers also signed Said Benrahma in the summer transfer win dow and will push to keep hold of Jesse Lingard, so there's really no need to keep Lanzini festering away on their books. As Frank McAvennie told Football FanCast exclusively this month, the 28-year-old is "a luxury player."

Darren Bent once told Football Insider that the midfielder had "wonderful feet" and was "certainly a top player," but on the above evidence, he hasn't delivered for some time and is merely stealing a living at this point.

Any fee accrued from his departure and the burden of his wages lifted off the club's books could go towards a new signing or two, and we know how desperate Moyes will be for a striker, so it certainly makes sense to get rid of Lanzini sooner rather than later.

It's time to show no mercy and offload the West Ham flop this summer.

AND in other news, Forget Abraham: £18m-rated "monster" could take West Ham to a new level...