£25m man looks finished at West Ham as Moyes targets three players

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It was supposed to be different this time. But if Nikola Vlasic does bid farewell to West Ham United after just one season at the London Stadium, Marco Silva could be forgiven for allowing himself a wry smile while uttering those four immortal words; ‘I told you so’. 

“The manager made a big mistake,” Vlasic’s father said back in 2018, criticising Silva’s decision to bring an early end to the Croatian’s ill-fated Everton career. At the time, with the playmaker thriving at CSKA Moscow, it was tempting to wonder if Vlasic Sr had a point.

But now, with his second stint in the Premier League proving to be just as forgettable as his first – six starts and a single goal hardly justification for that £25 million price-tag – the word ‘mistake’ is hardly the first that comes to mind when you look back at Everton’s decision to cut their losses on a man who has failed to find his feet on English soil on two separate occasions, at two separate clubs. 

Nikola Vlasic could leave West Ham United already

Of course, Vlasic is not the first player to find life difficult at a new club. Pablo Fornals, Said Benrahma, Angelo Ogbonna and more struggled initially at West Ham before hitting their stride. Perhaps Vlasic can do the same.

But whether he will actually be afforded an opportunity to silence his critics is another matter entirely. 

“Nikola didn’t have the best season in England,” says Vlasic’s former CSKA Moscow coach Ivica Olic, putting forth his candidate for the ‘Understatement of the Century’ award.   

“I believe in Vlasic and I know there are a lot of teams that would like to sign him or take him on loan. If West Ham give him the opportunity, then Nicola will change teams (and join a club) he will be given the chance play and where he can get in better shape.

“I wish this for him from the bottom of my heart. I spoke with him. He wants to stay in Europe. For example, to test himself in the German or Spanish championships. He has options.” 

An early exit?

Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic, meanwhile, admitted a couple of months ago that Vlasic was ‘ready’ to leave West Ham. He will be concerned about his Croatia prospects ahead of the Qatar World Cup. Torino have held talks, although that deal appears to have stalled (Tuttomercatoweb). 

Olic and Dalic’s comments – coupled with West Ham’s interest in a number of right-footed left-wingers who play in a similar role to Vlasic – certainly seem to suggest that a summer departure, just 12 months after his unveiling at the London Stadium, is a very real possibility. 

West Ham have expressed an interest in Villarreal’s Arnaut Danjuma. Ditto Sporting Gijon’s former Manchester City youngster Manu Garcia. Justin Kluivert, the one-time Ajax wonderkid who now finds himself on the outside looking in at Roma, is another option. Should any of the trio arrive – with Kluivert seemingly the most likely – then Vlasic may struggle even to match last term’s tally of just six Premier League starts. 

Everton’s decision to let Vlasic go after just one year was labelled ‘a mistake’. It’s unlikely West Ham are going to face similar accusations if history repeats itself before the summer is out.