West Ham’s decision to sell Cheikhou Kouyate has been vindicated

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West Ham United’s decision to sell Cheikhou Kouyate to Crystal Palace looks to have been the right one.

The Hammers decided to cash in on the Senegalese midfielder to the tune of £9.5 million (The Guardian), which split both Palace and West Ham fans down the middle.

He signed a four-year deal at Selhurst Park.

So far, Kouyate has made an indifferent start to life at the club, suggesting the Hammers were correct to move him on.

The consensus of the West Ham fans about Kouyate was that he fell away in his last couple of seasons and was no longer the driving force he once was.

He was also accused of shirking defensive responsibility and ambling back to defend.

A good decision

So far, Kouyate has made 10 Premier League appearances for Roy Hodgson.

He is yet to score and has only made one assist for a team generally struggling in attack.

His defensive numbers are not sparkling either; he has managed a tackling success rate of just 47% so far, and won just two 50/50s, according to official Premier League statistics.

Kouyate has demonstrated flashes for Palace, but on the whole he has shown nothing to suggest that the Hammers were a little quick to sanction his departure.

West Ham currently have Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez out injured, and that’s arguably the only thing that makes the deal seem too ‘hasty’.

In terms of performance, West Ham are surely vindicated for getting rid.