PSG’s Thomas Meunier should’ve chosen West Ham if he wanted first-team football

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Thomas Meunier wants to play more for Paris Saint-Germain – but there’s little doubt he’d have been West Ham’s first-choice right-back.

Thomas Meunier is unlikely to be making any longing glances towards the London Stadium any time soon.

The Belgian defender told Telefoot back in February that West Ham United were among one of the clubs keen to take him away from Club Brugge after his impressive performances at Euro 2016.

As soon as Paris Saint-Germain entered the race, however, and put Champions League football on the table, Meunier’s heart was set on a move to the Ligue 1 giants. And who could blame him?

While PSG look set to storm to the French league title this season and challenge for a maiden Champions League crown after making Neymar and Kylian Mbappe the two most expensive players in footballing history, The Hammers are sitting 15^th in the Premier League with doubts still surrounding the future of manager Slaven Bilic.

Though one thing West Ham would have guaranteed Meunier, that PSG cannot, is regular first-team football. And it’s fair to say the 26-year-old’s lack of regular starts in France is starting to grate on him.

‘I’m not a priority’

“(It is frustrating) because I want to play every match, whether it’s against Gueugnon, Niort or Bayern Munich,” Meunier, who has started just five Ligue 1 games from 11 this season with Dani Alves (below) ahead of him in the pecking order, said in quotes reported by The Sun.

“I want to be on the pitch every time. I am in a team which is one of the top five in the world where the backups and the starters are about the same level.

“I just have to be patient for now, because I’m not the priority.”

Meunier, who has a remarkable seven goals in ten games for club and country in 2017/18 from right-back, certainly would have found first-team football far easier to come by at West Ham.

Nonetheless, it is for the Belgian to decide whether he would rather fight for the Champions League as a squad player or struggle in the Premier League as an undisputed starter.