The fact that David Moyes does not think highly of Thilo Kehrer should be welcomed by West Ham supporters.
As we approach the new year, we also approach transfer silly season and already West Ham are being involved in the rumour mill.
Journalist Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sport Germany claims in a post on his X account that Thilo Kehrer is prepared to leave the London Stadium in the January transfer window, and Eintracht Frankfurt is rumored to be interested.
One could argue that the Hammers shouldn’t be trying to sell on the surface. They have the FA Cup to add to their burden, the possibility to play in the League Cup semifinals, and they will undoubtedly be in the Europa League come January 1.
To put it briefly, they will need to utilize every player on their roster come January, and Kehrer’s versatility might be helpful.
Nevertheless, Kehrer is obviously not a favorite of manager David Moyes, and there are gaps in the roster that need to be filled. For this reason, West Ham fans should be pleased with the news.
After joining from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2022, Kehrer has only made three appearances from the bench in the Premier League this season and is yet to start a game.
He has participated in four Europa League games and a few League Cup games, making him a valuable team member this season.
However, the statistics indicate that we won’t miss him all that much as a player. When compared to full-backs in the top five leagues in Europe over the previous year, Kehrer only ranks in the 33rd percentile for tackles per ninety-minute game (1.68) and the 12th percentile for blocks (0.80) in FBREF.
His progressive pass and progressive carry percentages are barely in the 23rd and 4th percentiles, however, at 3.15 and 0.87, respectively.
Kehrer wants to play a lot to qualify for Germany’s Euro 2024 squad on home soil next year, and while Moyes’ expectations of his full-backs certainly play a part in that, the manager does not share his enthusiasm for the player.
It should be obvious that the Hammers should sell in January if they can get a little money to invest in other areas.
