Why West Ham should sell Ajeti permanently rather than send him on loan

According to a Sky Sports report, West Ham striker Albian Ajeti is open to leave the club for the rest of the season on loan but is crippled by UEFA rules.

The 22-year old hitman, who arrived at the London Stadium from Swiss outfit FC Basel, is frustrated at his lack of game time, the report adds.

Having played competitive matches for both clubs – West Ham and Basel – Ajeti’s options of a January loan switch are considerably low as per the existing UEFA rules.

If he does intend to leave on loan, he can only join a club in a country where the season is just starting, which includes the likes of USA, Japan, or Sweden.

Since his move in August, the Switzerland international has not started a single game for the Hammers, making just five substitute appearances in the league and two starts in the Carabao Cup.    

Having failed to score or assist even once, the young finisher has proven to be a major flop ever since he landed in England. However, it could be argued that the striker has not been able to perform up to the expectations due to a lack of chances.

With Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini clearly favouring big-money signing Sebastian Haller, Ajeti has seen himself warming the benches most of the season.

Meanwhile, Haller who arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt has not been entirely successful either, with the striker scoring just 5 goals in 16 league matches.

Despite being given ample chances, the Frenchman has also failed to impress, which has resulted in the club languishing at the bottom of the table in 15^th place, four points clear of the relegation zone.

Also, the return of winger Michail Antonio has seen Ajeti fall even lower down the pecking order, with the Chilean Pellegrini opting to play the Englishman as striker ahead of the forgotten Ajeti.

Hence, a move away would be the best of options for the young Ajeti, who was impressive last season for Basel, scoring 18 goals and assisting 8 times from 32 games in the Swiss top-flight. However, with the UEFA rules around, Ajeti could see his chances of a loan move increasingly limited.

Read more:

• Why West Ham must offload flop star Roberto in January without hesitation
• Why signing Everton could offer West Ham more options in attack
• Why teenager Fara would be a good future investment for West Ham

That said, if the Swiss striker fails to find any potential suitors for him now and stays at West Ham until the end of the season, that would mean a further drop in his market value by the time of next transfer window.

Verdict

Hence, offloading Ajeti permanently seems to be the only sensible option that West Ham have in their hands.

Also, letting him stay and not giving him any chances would not be ideal for both parties as he would just prove to be surplus to Hammers requirements.