What do you do with a problem like Nayef Aguerd? As the transfer window closed, we were still all unsure if the Moroccan wantaway defender had departed the Hammers. The internet feeds said that he had moved on but there was no official notification from West Ham, so maybe he was still a West Ham player. If he was still to wear the claret and blue this season, it was going to be costly for us as he would be out of contact at the end of the season and a club source valued Aguerd at around £19 million, which of course is a loss again in the transfer market.
But then almost 16 hours after the transfer window had closed came the news that Aguerd’s time as a Hammer was over. The announcement was short and not exactly sweet: “West Ham United can confirm Nayef Aguerd has joined Olympique de Marseille on a permanent transfer. The Club would like to thank Nayef for his contribution and wish him the best for the future.” That was it, blunt and to the point. One of the ‘internet warriors’ did add a little more meat on the bones by giving a little more detail regarding the sale. It seems that Nayef Aguerd, as had been rumoured, had joined Olympique de Marseille on a permanent transfer. The fee was reported to be worth £18.2m plus £1.7m of add-ons worth a combined £19.9m. Obviously this money was received too late to be spent in this transfer window and will no doubt disappear before the next, well that’s the West Ham way with transfer money isn’t it?
The £30 Million Question: What Went Wrong?
So what went wrong for a player that we spent over £30 million on just a few years earlier? Aguerd came to us after having a fantastic World Cup with Morocco. He looked the real deal, a left footed central defender that looked as if he could fit well into the side. Early promise was hampered by injuries resulting in him missing several crucial games and then struggling to get back into the first eleven. On his return from injury, it soon appeared that he was struggling with the high physical demands and quick pace of the Premier League, a big change from the slower pace of football in France. This was made evident when a series of absolute howlers resulted in him being dropped from the first eleven. He was often caught out of position and some of his challenges were of the reckless nature. As a result Aguerd had left us after just three seasons in which he played just 41 times, scoring three goals. He did, of course, play in the Conference League final victory over Fiorentina in Prague. But his consistently poor form led to him spending the whole last season in La Liga with Real Sociedad.
The Style Divide: Potter’s Philosophy vs Aguerd’s Reality
With the Hammers struggling defensively and with a new manager in situ, I was surprised at the move. Tactically I believed that Aguerd would fit in well with Graham Potter’s defensive philosophy of a flexible, possession-based approach often using a back three. Aguerd, a ball-playing centre-back, seems to fit this profile on paper. But clearly Potter was not impressed. On his return from loan this year, Aguerd clearly showed that he was not up to the task. In three appearances he was part of a defence that conceded 11 goals. He also showed a desire to leave the club, often looking uninterested, not a great way to enamour him to the management team or to us the fan base.
So was this the real Aguerd? After all, he was a success at Rennes and for Morocco. Maybe it was the style of football at West Ham and the expected return from a relentless Premier League? Last season’s loan spell at Real Sociedad, although not a huge success for the club, did see him start in 21 games and feature in a total of 36 games. At the Basque club, he quickly became a starter and logged a total of 2,926 game minutes across all competitions. His loan spell at Real Sociedad showed that his passing abilities and technical skills were well-suited to a slower, more possession-based league like La Liga.
A Pariah’s Goodbye: The Sullivan Legacy
It was pretty clear that Aguerd did not see his future in east London and had no interest in staying. The problem was, how could the club get the best deal for themselves and not necessarily for the player? It is believed that Aguerd would have jumped at even a loan deal back in San Sebastián but that was off the table. Sullivan will soon have Christmas presents to buy and a loan deal would not fill his wallet. So at the last minute Aguerd found himself joining ex West Ham team mate, Emerson, in southern France.
And so yet another Sullivan buy didn’t work out. Was it the player’s fault or the club’s for this not working out? I guess a bit of both. Yes he could have tried harder and the club could have looked more in-depth into Aguerd’s style of play. But sadly like many players before him, Aguerd will be seen as a bit of a pariah, someone not worthy of wearing the West Ham shirt. Yes his push for a move was dishonourable but maybe he was being honest. He simply wasn’t up to the game in England. Better to go now for a fee rather than on a free at the end of the season. At least that’s some compensation.
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