With a budget drained due to the financial implications of Covid-19, it will likely be in the loan market that West Ham are most active in January.
As West Ham have already utilised two domestic loans (Said Benrahma and Craig Dawson), the Hammers will be forced to look abroad to sign players on the cheap. This does open up a lot of interesting opportunities.
One player that could fit this criteria is an ex-Spurs man – Christian Eriksen. The Danish international became a vital component of the Spurs side that finished runners-up in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Likewise, Eriksen was named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2018; a year that saw the 28-year-old became only the second player to record over 10 assists in four successive Premier League seasons. In his time in North London, Eriksen hit 51 goals in over 200 appearances. Make no mistake, the Dane was prolific.
However, after moving to Inter Milan, for just over £20 million, the talented playmaker has found himself on the fringes of Antonio Conte‘s squad, making just 25 appearances in nearly a year at the club.
Now, Eriksen’s poor return has seen the player deemed surplus to requirements by the club’s hierarchy. According to Sky Sports, Giuseppe Marotta (Club Director) has confirmed the Dane is free to leave before the expiration of his contract with both loan and permanent moves touted by various media outlets.
Clubs including Arsenal and PSG have been linked with a move for the creative midfielder and somehow, even with the prospect of being re-united with Mauricio Pochettino in Paris, West Ham have emerged as an out-side bet in securing the ex-Spurs player.
As reported in Gazzetta dello Sport and Eurosport, West Ham could make a move for the Dane in January. Eriksen would likely demand to be made the highest-paid player at the London Stadium – a request that means a permanent move looks at best unlikely.
However, the could Hammers swoop in for short-term loan deal a move that would suit both parties. Eriksen would get regular football and West Ham would sign a player of genuine quality on the cheap.
The validity of this rumour has already been questioned, but now with the emergence of the possibility of a loan move, West Ham’s interest in the ex-Spurs player at least seems genuine.
Clearly, Eriksen would undoubtedly improve the lack of creative quality shown by West Ham in previous matches. Whilst unlikely, if this move were to come off it would surely be one of the most remarkable of the January window.