As dreadful as Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo have been under both Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo this season, no one at West Ham United is pining for Nayef Aguerd.
When the day comes for revisionism over the Morocco international’s ill-fated spell at the London Stadium, that will be the day when the Hammers’ blundering backline really hits rock bottom.
A dark day indeed.
For now though, the West Ham United fans can appreciate that their current central defensive options leave a lot to be desired, while also acknowledging that the decision to sell Nayef Aguerd to Marseille on deadline day was the right one.
Yes, Aguerd enjoyed a ‘frankly incredible’ start to Marseille life. Yes, the former West Ham flop scored a famous winner against Paris Saint-Germain. Yes, he was crowned L’OM’s Player of the Month for October.
Perhaps, if he had not featured in West Ham’s first two Premier League matches of 2025/26, there would be some willing to go into bat for him.
But with the pain of those 3-0 and 5-1 thrashing by Sunderland and Chelsea still stinging – Aguerd started both games – the response to his Marseille revival in East London has largely centred around the idea that nothing was ever going to change until he accepted that he and English football were a match made in hell.
And Aguerd’s mistake during Marseille’s 2-2 midweek draw with lowly Angers – his first real error since returning to France – will have sent an unwelcome spasm of deja vu through the claret and blue faithful.
Nayef Aguerd’s Marseille blunder shows why he was wrong for West Ham United
The word ‘bullied’ often came up when discussing Nayef Aguerd, and why West Ham were not seeing the best of a defender they spent £30 million to bring across the Channel from Rennes.
Aguerd himself admitted to struggling under David Moyes. In short, this was a defender built for possession football, instead playing a more pragmatic role in a team which relied on physical dominance within their own penalty area.
Like a freshwater fish choking on salty sea brine.
The goal which put bottom-half Angers ahead at the Stade Velodrome was a reminder that, while Aguerd’s piercing left-footed passes look good in highlight reels, imposing, aggressive centre-forwards will always have joy up against him in one-v-one situations.
Aguerd first misjudged a lofted ball forward just inside his own half. As it bounced over his head, Sidiki Cherif stormed away, shrugging off the 2022 World Cup semi-finalist with ease before rattling a strike into the top corner.
Aguerd labelled one of Ligue 1’s ‘Flops’ of the week
A number of French-based publications put Aguerd’s error down to fatigue. He had, after all, played the full 90 minutes in nine of Marseille’s previous ten matches. The West Ham fans who saw Aguerd form one-half of the defensive partnership which shipped a record-breaking 74 goals in the 2022/23 season, however, will not be quite so willing to chalk this up to tiredness.
“On Wednesday evening, the first culprit was Nayef Aguerd, which was surprising given the Moroccan’s reliability,” EuroSport wrote after third-place Marseille wasted the chance to pounce on a rare PSG slip-up.
“Had it not been for a misjudgment and a lack of aggression in the duel against Sidiki Cherif, OM wouldn’t have found themselves in this uncomfortable situation.”
Sports Orange, meanwhile, included Aguerd among their ‘Flops’ of the week.
“[Aguerd] was unusually shaky, [having been] by far Olympique de Marseille’s best defender since the start of the season. This was particularly evident on the opening goal, where he was curiously outmanoeuvred by his young, direct opponent.”
Aguerd suggests that David Moyes’ style never suited him
This, in truth, was one of those rare deals which pleased all involved. Marseille were glad to get a proven Ligue 1 defender nicely-suited to Roberto de Zerbi’s possession principles. Aguerd was happy to be out of East London.
And West Ham were laughing all the way to the bank when they made £17.5 million from a defender who never looked suited to the rigours of Premier League football.
“It’s different from what I’ve experienced elsewhere, except maybe [during last season’s loan spell at] Real Sociedad, where they were also a possession-based team,” Aguerd told L’Equipe a week ago. “[Joining Marseille] was great for me, to showcase my qualities.
“The coach is always coming up with new ideas. He’s passionate about football. It allows me to showcase my qualities because I like playing in a dominant team.”
