Michail Antonio in action for West Ham. (Getty Images)
According to an earlier report from Sky Sports, West Ham were open to selling Michail Antonio in the summer. The Hammers were willing to listen to offers above £15million for the winger. Crystal Palace were among the clubs interested in the 28-year-old but a move to Selhurst Park did not quite materialize.
Antonio joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest back in 2015 for a fee of £7 million and has made a total of 99 appearances for the Hammers across all competitions where he has found the net on 22 occasions. He has the experience of playing for a number of clubs in England across all divisions but hasn’t quite reached the heights that he was destined for due to injuries and inconsistencies.
The 28-year-old wide man was at the verge of earning his international debut for England when Gareth Southgate called him up for some of the World Cup qualifiers but injuries forced him to withdraw.
It has been a lacklustre start to the season for Southampton under Mark Hughes and the Saints currently sit 16th in the standings with 5 points from their first eight games. They have shipped as many as 14 goals and have scored only 6, which leaves them with a goal difference of -8, something that might come back to haunt them if the relegation battle goes down to the wire in the dying stages of the Premier League.
Mark Hughes managed to bolster his options up front with the signing of Danny Ings on loan from Liverpool and also invested heavily to land Norwegian winger Mohamed Elyounoussi from FC Basel. While Ings has hit the ground running with 3 goals already, Elyounoussi hasn’t managed to get himself on the scoresheet but has provided some impetus to the attack from the flanks.
Pierre Emile Hojbjerg is another midfielder who has looked threatening and has contributed with a couple of goals but none of the other strikers- Shane Long, Charlie Austin and Manolo Gabbiadini has managed to find the net even once. The failure of the strikers to fire has been a major cause of concern for Mark Hughes this season.
To be honest, the Saints have lacked that energy and endeavour in the final third and they need someone who can add a bit more pace and vigour to their attack.
Michail Antonio would be an ideal option for the manager if he wants to bolster his attacking options. The 28-year-old is neither the most fluent player on the pitch nor does he have an excellent technique to catch the eye with some aesthetic moves. But few can deny his lively presence in the field.
Antonio is capable of playing in a variety of positions- right-winger, a left-winger, right wing-back, supporting striker and centre-forward. He uses his versatility to good effect down the flanks and not only contributes to the attack with his pace but also tracks back to cut out the attacks with crucial interceptions and blocks.
The 28-year-old has the ability to ask questions of the opposition’s defense with his lightning pace and is adept at cutting inside from the flanks. A player with a keen eye for a cross, he has the ability to find his teammates inside the box with perfectly weighted crosses. To go with that, he is also very good in the air, which makes him a potent threat from set pieces.
Although his finishing is not of the highest quality and he often lacks composure at crucial moments, he is a player who can contribute a lot to the team with his versatility. Nevertheless, he has a good scoring record for West Ham, something that might come handy for the Saints.
Things do not look too bright for the Saints currently and they need to add more depth to their squad if they are to stay alive in the Premier League this season. Antonio would be a good addition and they shouldn’t hesitate to offload Gabbiadini or Austin for that purpose. The 28-year-old definitely has that X-factor to propel the Saints to a respectable finish in the Premier League.