With the January transfer window fast approaching West Ham should be drawing up their shopping list to strengthen the side.
West Ham have had a brilliant start to the season despite what was a relatively quiet summer transfer window. The Hammers only signed Tomas Soucek, Said Benrahma, Vladimir Coufal and Craig Dawson; many fans were expecting to see more reinforcements after a difficult 2019/20 season.
Though the business was light on numbers, it heavy on quality. There are still some areas of the squad that could be improved when the transfer window opens in the new year. The Hammers could strengthen three areas of the squad which could help the club finish the season on a high.
Centre-Back
David Moyes number one wish in the summer was a top new centre-back. The Scottish manager, however, did not get his wish and ended up with Dawson on loan from Watford. The club signed the Englishman after failing with moves for high profile targets such as James Tarkowski, Wesley Fofana, Jonathan Tah and Duje Caleta-Car.
Moyes will still want to strengthen his backline further and could go back in for one of the club’s former targets. The main target that the club could go for is Marseille defender Caleta-Car. The Croatian defender rejected the Hammers in the summer as he wanted to play in the Champions League.
Since then he has had his wish and along with Marseille been knocked out after losing all their group games so far. Caleta-Car did show an interest in joining West Ham until he decided to stay. The Hammers were prepared to pay up to £30 million for the defender. This price could now be lower as the french side need to sell.
West Ham could also make another move for Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenković. The Serbian defender was another target during the summer and will be more available in January. There has been a change in the defender’s position at the club after he rejected a new contract. The defender’s current contract will run out in 2022, and the Viola will want to cash in while they can get a good price.
Central-Midfield
This is an area that causes fans to stress when they see names linked as some believe it must mean that Declan Rice is being sold. That should not be the case as the Hammers need reinforcement in the area regardless of Rice. The club shifted on Josh Cullen, Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez in the summer without signing a replacement.
Mark Noble is the current back-up to Soucek and Rice but does not possess the same physical attributes to fulfil the role truly. West Ham must use the January window to address this, and there are some brilliant options out there.
One name that has been linked to the club is Spartak Moscow midfielder, Alex Kral. The 22-year-old has bags of potential and could be a solid player for the Hammers. Kral used to play at SK Slavia Prague, and if he adapts as well as his fellow Czech’s Soucek and Coufal, he will not be the biggest risk.
Another player that the club has been rumoured to be interested in is Aberdeen’s impressive Lewis Ferguson. West Ham legend Frank McAvennie has praised the Scottish midfielder and suggested that he is ‘ready for the Premier League’. Ferguson would not break the bank either, and the Hammers should have the resources to pull off a move.
The benefits that either Kral and Ferguson will have if they join the club is the fact there won’t be any pressure on them. Rice and Soucek have cemented themselves as first-choice, and they will be given time to adapt to the league and the team.
Striker
Even though at times this season West Ham have been exceptional going forward the need for a new striker is evident. During Michail Antonio‘s injury, Sebastien Haller has struggled to replicate the Englishman’s impact on the pitch. Therefore the club should target a striker that can fill the void Antonio leaves when he needs a rest or. is inevitably injured again.
One name that has been consistently linked to the Hammer every season is Olivier Giroud. The French striker is coming to the end of a brilliant career and could be made available by Chelsea. Frank Lampard is only using Giroud sporadically as he prefers Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner. Though Giroud is a good player, he will suffer the same issues as Haller.
David Moyes should dip into the championship as two perfect options are waiting to get snapped up. AFC Bournemouth’s Joshua King was a target in the summer before the club chose to sign Benrahma instead. King is tall, fast and a proven Premier League goalscorer and would be a perfect back-up to Antonio.
The Norwegian is in the last year of his contract and could be available for a cut-down price as the Cherries could lose him for nothing next summer. This potential bargain could tempt the West Ham’s owners to dip into their pockets.
There is one more option for Moyes to consider, and that is Blackburn striker Adam Armstrong. At only 23-years-old the former Newcastle attacker is the youngest of the options and could prove to have the most potential. The Englishman has netted an impressive twelve goals in twelve games in the Championship this season.
Even though Armstrong is noticeably shorter than Haller and Antonio, his added pace makes him a dangerous striker. The Blackburn striker is the most in-form striker on the list, but those goals will come at a price. Currently valued at £6.3 million on transfermarkt.com and Blackburn will be hoping for double that for any transfer involving their main man.
The Hammers have also been linked to Lyon striker Moussa Dembele. The French striker would be the most costly, and a move looks very unlikely at the moment.
If the club is serious about having a successful season, then they will need to back Moyes in the upcoming window. With suitable reinforcements, it could be enough to solidify the club’s place in the top half and maybe push them closer to the European spots.