Selling Antonio to Crystal Palace would be another baffling West Ham decision

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West Ham United winger Michail Antonio has been linked with a shock switch to Premier League and London rivals Crystal Palace.

There are a number of players at West Ham United who the fans would happily drive out of the London Stadium this summer – Chiekhou Kouyate, Andy Carroll and Joe Hart just the tip of the iceberg.

But you’d be hard pressed to find a West Ham fan pleased about reports that London rivals Crystal Palace are trying to sign Michail Antonio this summer.

The Sun reports that Palace boss Roy Hodgson has identified Antonio as a key target for this summer, perhaps raising concerns about the future of talisman Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park.

Now, injuries might have restricted Antonio to just 16 Premier League starts this season and, even when fully fit, the former Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday man has not been a guaranteed starter under David Moyes.

But the one-time England call-up remains one of the most popular, and useful, members of the West Ham squad. Antonio is a swiss army knife of a player capable of filling in at right back or centre-forward when not racing down either wing.

He’s also been a reliable source of goals over the last few seasons, notching 17 between 2015 and 2017 in the Premier League.

So it would certainly raise eyebrows if West Ham decided to listen to offers for Antonio this summer, especially as there is no shortage of Hammers team-mates who should be at the front of the queue for a summer cull.