With West Ham and Sevilla so perfectly matched all across the pitch, in midfield, up top and at the back, next week’s UEFA Europa League round-of-16 tie in Andalusia may be decided on the flanks.
Specifically, in the full-back areas.
Between them, Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal have set up 21 Premier League goals since the start of the 2021/22 campaign. Sevilla, too, expect their full-backs to create goalscoring opportunities as frequently as they prevent them, with all-action Argentina international Marcos Acuna spending most of his time final third and Jesus Navas enjoying a remarkable resurgence deep into his 30s.
And, given that West Ham have devoted plenty of time to scouting Gonzalo Montiel in recent years, one suspects that David Moyes will not need any reminding about what the former River Plate ace could bring to the party on Thursday night in Seville.
Will Gonzalo Montiel show West Ham what they’re missing?
“I think Montiel would fit in well at West Ham,” Albiceleste team-mate Manuel Lanzini told Ole two years ago, after the Hammers failed with a £9 million loan-to-buy bid for the 2018 Copa Libertadores champion.
“I know they looked at him and couldn’t bring him in. He asked me (about West Ham), and I spoke to him.”
Before Montiel sealed a cut-price £7 million move to Sevilla last summer – Los Nervionenses taking advantage as his River Plate contract ran down – barely a month went by without reports linking the 14-cap Argentine with a move to the English capital rearing their head.
According to Goal, West Ham had a bid rejected in August 2020 too. And then again in January 2021 (El Intransigente). Third time, it seems, is not always the charm.
But when Montiel finally steps onto the London Stadium turf, it will be in the red-and-white of Sevilla rather than the claret-and-blue of West Ham United.
Moyes will be hoping West Ham’s failure to secure Montiel’s signature, at three different points in the last two years, won’t come back to bite them.
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