West Ham United playmaker Manuel Lanzini starred against Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United is tackled by Mathias Jorgensen
Pundit Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that he thinks Chelsea may make a move to sign West Ham United playmaker Manuel Lanzini as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas.
The Hammers travelled to take on Huddersfield Town on Saturday afternoon in a vital game between two teams looking to move away from the relegation zone, and David Moyes’ men turned in a superb start.
Mark Noble’s opener was cancelled out by Joe Lolley’s equaliser, only for Marko Arnautovic to make it 2-1 to West Ham, with Manuel Lanzini then notching two goals to seal a 4-1 away win for the Hammers.
Arnautovic and Lanzini ultimately ran riot at the John Smith’s Stadium, and two-goal hero Lanzini stole the headlines with his match-winning display in the second half.
The Argentinian playmaker, 24, has now notched two goals and five assists in his last 10 games for West Ham, and is really stepping up as a key player under Moyes after something of a slow start to the season.
A key player under Slaven Bilic following his 2015 move from Al-Jazira Club, Lanzini is now stepping up to the plate again, sparking praise from fans and pundits after Saturday’s display.
Pundit Garth Crooks has now told BBC Sport that he felt Lanzini was like a magician against Huddersfield, and is starting to show that he can prove himself as the real replacement for Dimitri Payet.
Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United celebrates after scoring against Huddersfield Town
Crooks added that he thinks Chelsea may even come calling for Lanzini as an eventual successor to Cesc Fabregas, in a move which West Ham fans would hate, as losing their star man to a London rival would be particularly galling.
“Manuel Lanzini has been promising to take over the mantle of Dimitri Payet – remember him? – for some time and his performance against Huddersfield was as close as he has come,” said Crooks. “The skilful Argentine was like a sorcerer’s apprentice weaving his magic and left the John Smith’s stadium with the Terriers still under his spell. What was so impressive was the way Lanzini, with West Ham already 3-1 up, raced 40 yards to support Marko Arnautovic in order to administer Huddersfield’s last rites.”
“The finish was equal to the work and endeavour the player put in throughout the match. The only problem I can foresee is that if Lanzini keeps playing like this, how long before Chelsea come knocking on the door? Cesc Fabregas is not getting any younger you know,” he added.
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