West Ham United are reportedly eyeing a summer deal for 28-year-old Chelsea and England international midfielder Danny Drinkwater.
According to a report in The Sun, David Moyes is looking to bolster his squad with another a central midfielder this summer and the Hammers are planning to make a bid in the range of £30 million for the Englishman in the upcoming transfer window.
In what can safely be described as a ‘surprise’ move, Chelsea purchased the Manchester United youth product on deadline day last summer for a reported £35 million fee and since then, he’s made only 22 appearances for them across all competitions this season.
Injuries haven’t helped his cause either and he spent the first two months of the season out on the sidelines with niggles to his thigh and calf. His only goal for the Blues this campaign came in a 5-0 demolition of Stoke City back in December.
When fit, he has had to compete with Cesc Fabregas, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ross Barkley and the indispensable N’golo Kante for two places in central midfield. He has spent a majority of 2018 out of the squad or on the bench and the lack of game time would have undoubtedly left him frustrated.
His lack of game time will significantly hamper his chances at making England’s 2018 World Cup squad and the former Leicester City midfielder will undoubtedly want to get back into contention for places in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad post the summer.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Antonio Conte’s future, he may choose to wait to see if Chelsea get a new manager before planning a move away. West Ham would be a good destination for Drinkwater, who will likely find it considerably easier to make it into the starting XI.
However, Chelsea may consider giving the English half a season before letting him depart. He joined the club whilst still injured and when he has started, he has put in commendable performances. When fit, he can be a good stand in midfielder and his quality certainly warrants some patience. With just over 4 seasons left on his current contract, the Blues may think twice before incurring a £5 million loss.
