Nayef Aguerd’s future at West Ham United could be in jeopardy following a disappointing performance against Newcastle United, while Konstantinos Mavropanos might seize his chance.
West Ham’s summer signing, Mohammed Kudus, salvaged a late draw against Newcastle with an 89th-minute goal, preventing a victory for the Magpies. However, David Moyes faces a critical decision regarding Nayef Aguerd, who had a lackluster display.
Newcastle appeared to be on their way to a fifth consecutive win on October 8th, with Alexander Isak scoring twice in the second half after Tomas Soucek’s early goal for West Ham. But Kudus’ first Premier League goal for the Hammers leveled the playing field at the London Stadium.
West Ham fans experienced a rollercoaster of emotions during the match, with their team initially looking poised to match their best league start since the 1999-2000 season. They were on track for 16 points from eight games with a win over a fatigued Newcastle side. However, defensive errors by Moyes’ men allowed Isak to score twice, and Aguerd was one of the culprits behind Newcastle’s comeback.
Aguerd, a Moroccan international signed for £30 million from Rennes in the summer of 2022, has struggled in recent weeks, particularly after conceding a needless penalty against Liverpool on September 24th by fouling Mohamed Salah in the box. Moyes was already displeased with Aguerd after he missed a crucial header, leading to Julian Alvarez’s goal in West Ham’s first defeat of the season against Manchester City a week earlier at the London Stadium.
According to Jacob Steinberg’s piece in The Guardian on September 29th, West Ham United now has competition for defensive positions, with Konstantinos Mavropanos as an alternative. This competition could result in Aguerd being dropped, as it appears his concentration has waned following summer interest from Saudi Arabia.
Aguerd’s performance against Newcastle on October 8th further highlighted his recent struggles. During his 90 minutes on the pitch, he failed to win a single tackle or interception, won only one of his duels, lost possession 14 times, completed only 62% of his passes, and succeeded in just 5 of his 17 long balls, as per SofaScore statistics.
While Aguerd has been a vital and effective part of the team since joining in 2022, his recent performance against Newcastle was a far cry from his previous standards. Mavropanos, who impressed on his first start against Lincoln City, seems poised to secure a regular place in the Premier League, potentially at Aguerd’s expense.
This presents an unexpected dilemma for Moyes to ponder as they approach the international break.