West Ham United made major changes to their squad over the summer following the arrival of new manager Manuel Pellegrini.
While most of the fans’ major concern was bringing quality into the club, allowing energy and brawn leave was a mistake.
Cheikhou Kouyate is never going to be a refined midfielder that can spray passes or dictate play, but the former West Ham man brought intensity and drive to the Hammers midfield.
Letting him join Crystal Palace raised a few eyebrows, with Carlos Sanchez an odd addition as a replacement.
The South American veteran has spent the majority of the campaign on the sidelines due to serious injury and it remains to be seen if he will be able to make an impact at West Ham.
While Declan Rice has been excellent in midfield this season and Mark Noble loves the club, the Hammers need to sign an all-action defensive midfielder to replace Kouyate this summer.
West Ham have been over-run and outplayed in the boiler room this season and Pellegrini must remedy this if next term is to be better than this one has been.