According to a report by L’Equipe (as relayed by Sport Witness), West Ham shot-stopper Alphonse Areola could leave the club if David Moyes does not grant him more opportunities.

The Lowdown: Lack of game-time

Areola joined the Hammers this summer on a loan deal from French giants Paris Saint-Germain. However, the Frenchman’s playing time has been extremely limited since arriving in East-London, as the goalkeeper is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League for the club.

Due to his lack of playing time and showings in cup competitions, it is evident that Moyes still sees him as the back-up option to Lukasz Fabianski. Areola has played five times in the Europa League and three times in the EFL Cup, and it looks as though that will not be enough to keep him happy in east London.

The Latest: On the way out?

According to the reports in France, translated by Sport Witness, the question of the player's future will 'quickly arise' if he is not granted more chances in the first XI by Moyes.

This comes as it is claimed that he desperately wants to be included in France’s squad for the 2022 World Cup. He needs to impress manager Didier Deschamps, with top flight performances the best way to grab the national side's interest.

The Verdict: Buy him, loan him out

It is unclear whether PSG have inserted a recall option into his contract, but the Hammers do have the option to buy the keeper at the end of the season, following the expiry of his loan deal - could they trigger that early and then send him out on loan?

Areola will not be short of interest if they choose to do so, having thoroughly impressed at PSG, keeping 53 clean-sheets in 107 games for the French outfit.

He has recently been hailed by club-captain Mark Noble as a ‘fantastic’ player and ‘a great bit of business’ for the Hammers too, so it would be foolish to offload him permanently.

If the 6 foot 5 shot-stopper is desperate to go out and play before the World Cup, the Irons should look to ensure his long-term future is staying put, with 36 year-old Fabianski sure to be past his best by the time Areola has tried his luck in Qatar at the end of next year.