Luka Jovic’s West Ham snub is good news for the Irons[Opinion]

Ordinarily, West Ham missing out on an available Real Madrid striker might seem to be a disaster in recruitment terms, but in one instance, the Irons may have dodged a bullet.

According to Frankfurter Rundschau, Serbian striker Luka Jovic turned down the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League with the Hammers and instead opted to return to his former club Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.

Jovic’s stint in the German top flight was an irrefutably productive one. He managed 36 goals in just 75 appearances, a record which solidified his reputation as a prolific, promising and proven option in one of Europe’s top leagues.

In that sense, it was only natural that Real Madrid would bring Jovic to the Spanish capital, but he proved to be a flop at the Bernabeu, amassing just two goals and two assists in 32 appearances.

Having failed to make an impact for Zinedine Zidane’s side after his £56.7m move, Jovic was shipped out – but not to the London Stadium.

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Jovic ‘absolutely wanted’ to go back to Frankfurt where he reportedly believed he was ‘valued’, but West Ham fans should not lament this lost opportunity.

Conversely, his tale is a cautionary one in being wary of big moves with heavy competition and the weight of expectation. The 23-year-old evidently struggled to adapt to a new league, and his career has suffered as a result.

The tale echoes that of his former Eintracht Frankfurt teammate Sebastien Haller, who the Hammers chose to sell to Ajax at a significant financial loss a week ago.

Jovic returning to what he knows is a half-surrender of his prospects at making it in La Liga, and there was every chance that a loan or permanent deal for him would equally represent another expensive risk for the Hammers, given his poor record in Spain.

David Moyes’ side would be better off examining bargain value-for-money signings elsewhere and shouldn’t be worried about Jovic rejecting them in favour of a Bundesliga return.