According to Starsport, via The Star, West Ham striker Javier Hernández expects to be gone come the end of the week. 

The Mexican has been rumoured to be returning to La Liga, with Valencia looking like the leading contenders to get his signature.

The 30-year-old has made just seven Premier League starts this season, managing four goals in the process, but has not been a favourite of Manuel Pellegrini's at the London Stadium. Indeed, he has not bee a favourite during his entire spell in east London since joining from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

This would have been a deal that would have filled many West Ham fans with trepidation over two weeks ago, as the club were in a precarious position. With star man Marko Arnautović's future in doubt throughout January, The Hammers could have been in a situation whereby they lost both of their leading strikers.

However, with the news that the Austrian has signed a contract extension, putting to bed fears of him leaving this January, there will be slightly less pressure on The Irons to keep hold of the Mexican.

With Andy Carroll and Lucas Pérez still at the club, Pellegrini can let Hernández leave the club this week, knowing that Arnautović will still be his main man. This allows the former Man United and Real Madrid striker to ply his trade elsewhere and try and get more game time this season.

What was once unimaginable at the beginning of the month has now become a departure that West Ham can live with.