A few months prior to signing for West Ham; Maiga was on the verge of completing a move to Premier League rivals Newcastle, with a failed medical scuppering that move; Newcastle's loss appeared to be West Ham's gain.
Last season saw the Malian struggle to make any sort of impact in the Premiership; with most of his appearances coming from the bench The African cup of nations and our influx of attackers didn't help either. It proved very difficult for him to gain any real consistency, overall it was very frustrating for both player and the fans. The talent he possessed was evident; goals against Chelsea, Wigan and a superb individual effort against Southampton proved why we signed him.
Maiga's future at West Ham seemed in doubt, with new arrivals looking inevitable It was only a matter of time before he was sent packing.
With no new first team strikers arriving and Maiga's ever present inclusion in West Ham's pre-season, its look as-if he will get a chance to showcase his skills. Andy Carroll will be out until mid September; at the very least, so this is the perfect opportunity for Maiga to stake a claim in the first team.
When Carroll returns from injury it remains likely that Maiga would play on the wing but his versatility would be very helpful in our current squad, if he manages to bag a few goals in the fixtures where Andy is injured that would provide West Ham with a massive boost.
Will Maiga take his chance?
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