Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez wants to leave Manchester United

Chicharito Manchester United
Wikimedia: Jon Candy

Friday’s The Sun (a British tabloid) claims that Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez wants to leave David Moyes’ team due to the lack of first team action. Chicharito’s patience appears to have run out, and it looks like he is no longer happy playing the role of the ‘super-sub’. Hernandez has only made 14 Premier League appearances, and a total of 23 appearances when all other competitions are taken into account (5 League Cup games, 1 FA Cup match, & 3 Champions League games). However, Chicharito is rarely considered in the starting XI, and most of his appearances are off the bench.

Why would Chicharito want to leave?

Hernandez also had a relatively small amount of appearances when Sir Alex Ferguson was the coach last season, why the difference now? It might be just one thing on Hernandez’ mind, but it’s a big one: the World Cup.

The Mexican National went through four coaches in two months as it stumbled in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign, eventually settling with Miguel Herrera. Herrera took over El Tri right before Mexico was to go on to face New Zealand in the Intercontinental Playoff. In a move that surprised many in the Mexican press, Herrera did not call up Javier Hernandez for these two crucial matches, citing Chicharito’s bad form as one of the reasons.

With his position on the Mexican National Team in jeopardy en route to the World Cup, Chicharito must be concerned with getting enough playing time to return to the playing level that made him a superstar in Mexico. He certainly isn’t getting enough time at Manchester United, and that will be even further reduced once RVP and Rooney return from their injuries.

Where would Hernandez go?

The rumors going around now are that Chicharito might be swapped for Fredy Guarin from Inter. There are certainly many Premier League sides that would take him, including Spurs, which targeted Hernandez in the summer and might make another move now. Wherever Chicharito might end up, the fact is that he is looking for more regular football. Hernandez wants a spot with Mexico’s World Cup squad, and he needs to be playing regularly to get that.