West Ham United have reportedly entered a battle to find out-of-favour Maxwel Cornet a new club before the end of the January window.
The 28-year-old is said to have attracted interest from Championship clubs Watford and Blackburn Rovers recently despite his nightmare spell at Southampton.
Cornet joined the top-flight Saints on loan from the London Stadium in August but has since featured in just two Premier League matches for the strugglers.
The winger failed to make the matchday squad for their 5-0 battering at the hands of Brentford earlier this month, with the player last playing for his temporary employers during an EFL Cup success over Stoke City in late October.
A change of manager on the South Coast provided a glimmer of hope for Cornet in his pursuit of earning regular time, however February is fast approaching and he has managed just 71 minutes of Premier League football.
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West Ham want Cornet 'in the shop window' after Southampton fiasco
According to Claret & Hugh, Cornet's nightmare spell at St Mary's Stadium is set to come to a sobering end before the conclusion of the transfer window.
The report states that Southampton boss Ivan Juric has informed the Ivorian that he is not part of the first-team plans for the second half of the term.
As a result, West Ham are fully expected to recall Cornet back to East London, although any chance of gametime with the Hammers appears highly unlikely.
It is understood that Graham Potter is not considering the reintegration of Cornet into his senior squad, with the attacker set for another loan move.
With Cornet's contract expiring in 2026, West Ham are hoping to find a loan club where the winger will play plenty of matches in order to boost his future transfer fee.
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Where did it go wrong for Cornet?
After scoring nine goals in the Premier League for Burnley during the 2021-22 campaign, Cornet jumped ship from the Championship-bound Clarets to join West Ham for £17m.
The 28-year-old made 37 appearances for the Hammers across two seasons but always struggled to nail down a spot in David Moyes's preferred XI.
With Michail Antonio, Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen all in the medical room currently, it is hard to argue that Potter's men are not in need of attacking reinforcements.
In turn, the decision of West Ham to disregard the possibility of Cornet re-entering the first-team fray paints a damning picture of his reputation and standing at the London Stadium.
Carter White
