Ever since Nikola Vlasic arrived in Italy, the West Ham United loanee has made headlines with his performances.
Initially, it started off because he was playing so well under Ivan Juric, but he’s been far more quiet recently, which has caused some concern.
A lot of it has to do with the fact that Torino can make the move from West Ham permanent if they so wish by paying the Hammers €15m or so, but that’s a big decision to make.
Such a fee is a lot of money for a team like the Serie A side, and there are a lot of variables for them to consider, including the future of their current manager.
After all, Vlasic has played so well because he gets along with Juric and the Croatian coach’s belief in him has been key in getting him to perform.
That’s why, before pulling the trigger on the option to buy for the West Ham man or those of Valentino Lazaro or Miranchuk, former Torino midfielder Patrizio Sala said that the most important thing is for the club to keep hold of the man in charge.
He told Toro.it: “I wouldn’t go after these redemptions, but I would think about the renewal of Juric’s contract, who is the architect of this general growth of all the players. It’s indisputable that Juric is a manager who knows how to make players improve. This is a fact. Then, that I have to run after a player is, I think, the most wrong thing in the world.
“This is my thought despite not being an executive or a president who puts the money. Sometimes I ask myself: ‘But why do I have to run after someone and maybe they don’t even have the desire to stay?’ I would only bet on the manager, and then I would decide on the basis of his requests.”
The good news for West Ham in all this is Vlasic loves Juric and Torino, while the manager believes strongly in Vlasic.
Therefore, it should only come down to a matter of money, and that could all depend on where the club end up in the Serie A table, with them currently 8th after 22 games.
