Green Street Hammers
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West Ham must move on from Midfield duo this window

By Adam Smith

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Carlos Sanchez of West Ham United looks on prior to the Premier League 2 match between West Ham United and Everton at London Stadium on April 29, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Carlos Sanchez of West Ham United looks on prior to the Premier League 2 match between West Ham United and Everton at London Stadium on April 29, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 10: Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on November 10, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 10: Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on November 10, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

The external replacements for these players are largely guesses but are led by the polarizing idea of signing current Tottenham midfielder Victor Wanyama. Polarizing because he is exactly what the Irons need to bring in, but he’s coming from Tottenham which means he’s tainted.

I don’t see this transfer happening for West Ham, though, as the price would likely be too high and I’m sure Tottenham wouldn’t want to do business with us, even after the Ndombele signing has made him expendable. He would be good, but deals can be found elsewhere.

My target would be Thiago Maia of Lille in Frances Ligue 1. The Brazilian defensive midfielder contributed to a strong and surprising season for the overhauled French side, but he isn’t one of the names grabbing headlines from that team. This is to be expected with defensive midfielders and could be a positive in negotiating a quick deal that secures his signature.

A few reasons I think a deal makes sense are that he is best friends with Felipe Anderson. Anderson doesn’t pull the strings for West Ham, but a team-friendly signing could help him grow deeper roots in East London. Pellegrini and Husillos have also scouted Ligue 1 extensively, likely watching Maia, the South American, plenty of times. Lastly, he is just 22-years-old and would be a candidate to grow into this young squad with the current players.

Next. West Ham must target Swansea’s Oliver McBurnie as next striker. dark

Lastly, I’ll go with the most likely signing, Gary Medel. I’m not excited about this one and from the looks of social media, plenty others share that sentiment. Medel is a 31-year-old defensive midfielder playing at Besiktas in Turkey. The links exist primarily because Pellegrini and he are both Chilean, and rumors suggest Pellegrini likes his versatility at defensive mid and left-back. This is a panic buy on deadline day if I’ve ever seen one. I’d prefer a look at Cullen over Medel if I had to choose!