Make no mistake, West Ham United have revelled in one of the most resounding rises of any club across Europe over the past several years, now a consistent presence on the European stage after spending years languishing below expectations.
Headed by Scotsman David Moyes, who has transformed the Premier League club across his second stint, the Hammers are currently preparing for their second Europa League campaign in three years – having won the Europa Conference League last season to return to the continental tournament.
This season, West Ham have started with conviction despite selling star midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m in July, having won three of drawn one of their opening four matches.
So much has hit the mark on the transfer front over the past several years to create this success, but one player who has not found his feet is Maxwel Cornet, who has cost a considerable amount for such little impact thus far.
How much did West Ham sign Maxwel Cornet for?
Last summer, West Ham signed Cornet for £17.5m from Burnley, with the Ivorian having impressed in Lancashire despite Burnley's relegation from the Premier League.
Described as a "fabulous goalscorer and probably one of the signings of the season" by pundit Owen Hargreaves while plying his trade in Claret Road colours, Cornet scored nine goals and supplied one assist across just 21 starting appearances for his imperilled outfit.
His impact was eye-catching to say the least, providing Sean Dyche's Burnley with a goal threat unseen from the wide flanks, a dynamism tailor-made for English football.
£29m
July 2021
Burnley
£37
December 2021
Burnley
£30m
August 2022
West Ham
£20m
September 2023
West Ham
It came at a time where West Ham had been making increments to their side for a few years, and signed him to provide competition for the likes of Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen on the flanks.
While injuries have played detriment to his ambitions on the grass, Cornet "hasn't shown" Moyes enough in east London, according to journalist Paul Brown, and will need a drastic upswing in performance if he is to earn a starring role this season
How much has Maxwel Cornet cost West Ham in total?
Cornet is believed to earn £65k-per-week under Moyes' management, which means that he has cost the Premier League team around £21m thus far, and counting.
When considering the fact that he is yet to bag his first goal despite playing 22 matches, Cornet does appear to have lost that 'fabulous' finishing that he carried at Burnley.
This term, Cornet played one minute against Bournemouth in the opener but has been shackled to the bench for the past three outings, yet to add to his maiden seasonal appearance.
After such an emphatic introduction to life in England under Dyche's wing at Burnley, the West Ham faithful would be forgiven for thinking that a consistent and considerable goalscorer had been added to the ranks, but it has not been the case.
There will still be optimism that Cornet can rekindle his former form at the London Stadium, but having been left on the fringe in the opening phase of the 2023/24 campaign, it might take some doing to wedge his way back into prominence under Moyes' wing. Indeed, so far this is looking like money down the drain as far as the Hammers are concerned.
