Having made the move to Upton Park in the summer of 2012, Modibo Maiga has not had the greatest Premier League career since signing for an undisclosed fee. He went on to score four goals in nineteen appearances throughout his debut season. During the first half of the 2013/14 campaign, the Mali international could only find the back of the net twice over a six month period. Sam Allardyce then took the decision to loan him out to Championship side Queens Park Rangers where he scored just one goal.
Maiga’s disappointing goal scoring return resulted in him being loaned out to Ligue 1 outfit Metz, who had just been promoted to the French top tier. And despite Metz finishing in the bottom three and getting relegated, the 27-year-old striker still managed to score nine times in nineteen starts. This perhaps leaves West Ham with a difficult decision concerning the future of the frontman, including whether or not to fulfil the optional two-year contract extension.
It is fair to say that his performances have been inconsistent to say the least. Maiga went on a run of five months without scoring between November and April, and then put an end to this shocking statistic following his 29-minute hat-trick against Toulouse. The element of not knowing what to expect and whether or not he is going to turn up with the necessary performances could be a real issue for the Hammers if they decide to keep hold of him. However, Maiga was the only player in the entire division to score both home and away against champions Paris Saint-Germain, so he does indeed have some quality in his locker.
Another factor that has to be considered is how and where Maiga would be able to fit in to the current West Ham squad. Zero assists this campaign perhaps points to him not being a team player, and having not scored a single goal all season from outside the penalty area, it makes it rather difficult to judge just how good his finishing can be. Furthermore, the fact that he was on-loan to a team that got relegated means he may not have had the quality of service around him that would enable him to score more goals for the club. Five yellow cards in one season for a forward is also a bit worrying considering suspensions, however on the contrary it does show physicality and desire to win the ball back for the team.
At the end of the day, it is ultimately a gamble if we decide to keep Maiga on board. If a club came in with a considerable bid, which a whole host of clubs from the Turkish league are reportedly plotting, then it may be the right move for both parties for him to leave. It would not be unwise however to keep him at the club, with Carlton Cole leaving and Mauro Zarate’s future hanging in the balance, Modibo Maiga may be a sensible back-up option to have.
