While West Ham United fans are starting to dream of the Champions League anthem ringing out amid a sea of bubbles at the London Stadium next season, Sead Haksabanovic could be forgiven for wondering what he’s missing.
The Montenegro international was sold to IFK Norrkoping in June, bringing an end to any hopes Hammers fans may have had of seeing the exciting attacker strut his stuff again in claret and blue.
Despite his obvious potential, the closest Haksabanovic came to a run in the first team was the occasional League Cup cameo.
But while the gap between Swedish football and the English top flight is vast, Haksabanovic’s stunning form in the Allsvenskan does raise a rather intriguing question – should West Ham have shown more patience in a winger signed for £2.7 million during the Slaven Bilic era?
The numbers speak for themselves.
In 39 games, Haksabanovic has produced 14 goals and 13 assists. Four of those goals have come in just three Swedish Cup matches, with the 21-year-old netting a crucial strike against Gothenburg that fired Norrkoping into the quarter-finals.
“He has been fantastic,” beams manager Rikard Norling, who only took over in December (Expressen).
“It is one thing to see (his talent) from a distance, and another to see it on a daily basis. It has been a favour to have him. He’s an incredibly skilled football player.”
According to Fotbollskanalen, Manchester United, Arsenal, AC Milan, Rangers, Ajax and others have been watching Haksabanovic closely during the past year or so.
And it will be interesting to see who is playing Champions League football first, Haksabanovic or West Ham?
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