West Ham United will be looking for a new beginning under Manuel Pellegrini and it seems like he has already decided which players he wants to keep at the club. It is expected that the Hammers will part ways with Sam Byram soon. The right-back was signed in 2016 from Leeds United and the Peacocks might have a chance to bring him back at the club.
Leeds United’s season ended on a dismal note as they finished 13th in the Championship. They started off well and were unbeaten in their first seven games under Thomas Christiansen. However, a drop in form since then and a poor run in 2018 under new manager Paul Heckingbottom has seen them finish 13 points off the playoff spots.
Heckingbottom will be in need of reinforcements in the summer to bring this team closer to a playoff spot and it will be interesting to see whether he will make a move for the former player. The defender was signed by Slaven Bilic in 2016. He managed just 13 appearances in all competitions this season and his season was ruined by injuries and the emergence of the veteran defender Pablo Zabaleta. The Hammers are also being linked to Fulham‘s right back Ryan Fredericks and it seems that Byram is nowhere in the plans for the future at the club.
The fullback was the product of Leeds United’s academy and he was a regular feature for them down the right before he was lured by the prospect of top-flight football. It will be interesting to see whether the Leeds faithful will want him back at the club as he snubbed them when a Premier League club came calling for him.
Byram can still stay at West Ham if the Hammers fail to secure the move of Ryan Fredericks. The move hinges on the playoff finals where the Cottagers will take on Aston Villa and if Fulham fails to make it to the Premier League, West Ham can probably lure him.
The opinions of Leeds United fans might be divided regarding having their former fullback at the club. The club currently has the likes of Luke Ayling, Lewie Coyle and Gaetano Berardi who can play in the right-back role, so signing Byrma back isn’t an absolute necessity for Paul Heckingbottom. He will be better off spending the funds somewhere else where he needs some additional backup in his squad.
