Spending most of the second half with 10 men, Saint-Etienne were unable to hold on for a draw against a reinvigorated Montpellier, eventually losing 2-1.
However, were it not for a certain Kévin Malcuit, the final score could have been far bigger, and the right-back has shown all season why West Ham were interested in him towards the end of January.
With four assists in 27 games, the full-back is a threat going forward, something Slaven Bilic requires from his wide defenders, but also very adept at defending, as he showed with a solid performance against Bordeaux.
Snuffing out two counter attacks with his pace very late on in the game, Malcuit redeemed himself after a somewhat difficult evening on Thursday against a very strong Anthony Martial at Old Trafford in the Europa League, and earned a very respectable 7/10 rating in the incredibly harsh L’Equipe.
West Ham will need a new right-back for next season, and their late interest in Malcuit gives you an idea of the type of player they are looking for.
Certainly don’t be surprised if Bilic and co. give signing the Saint-Etienne defender another go in the summer.
