Andriy Yarmolenko has to prove West Ham worth when he returns

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Andriy Yarmolenko has now been with West Ham for 19 months since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund and it’s safe to stay he still has a lot to prove.

The Hammers paid £17.5million (Sky Sports) to bring him to the Premier League from the Bundesliga and the gamble has not worked so far.

He’s managed just 25 first-team appearances since his transfer and missed the majority of the last campaign with an Achilles problem.

The Ukraine international has three goals in his 15 appearances this season, but has been sidelined since December through injury.

According to the Evening Standard, the 30-year-old could be available again when West Ham face Liverpool on 24 February.

Yarmolenko is yet to reach any consistent form for the London club and his days look numbered unless he can turn it around with a strong second half of the season.

Yarmolenko certainly hasn’t looked worth the £17.5million cost considering the amount of times he’s spent in the stands injured and the club have hardly had a reward on him.

The right-winger on his day can be a goal threat cutting inside on his favoured left foot and was previously a star earlier in his career for Dynamo Kiev.

But there is now competition from within the West Ham squad from teammates Robert Snodgrass and also January signing Jarrod Bowen, who is expected to dazzle following his arrival from Hull City.

Yarmolenko is surely going to slip down the pecking order under David Moyes if he can’t stay fit and he may have a big job on his hands battling new signing Bowen for a starting position.