West Ham United desperately need more firepower in their effort to stave off relegation and have been linked again with Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge.
According to the Daily Star West Ham are the favourites to sign Reds outcast Sturridge in January.
Reports claim the striker is looking to leave in January to improve his chances of making Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad for Russia next summer.
The Hammers would certainly benefit from his pace and goals with Andy Carroll looking an increasingly unreliable and isolated figure in an under performing West Ham side.
But there will undoubtedly be stiff competition for a player of Sturridge’s calibre, a striker with a goal every other game ratio.
Slaven Bilic was sacked and replaced by David Moyes earlier this month in a bid to get the East Londoners more organised to beat the drop.
Moyes has brought in Alan Irvine, Billy McKinlay and former Hammer of the Year Stuart Pearce as his assistants.
And Pearce could prove the ace up West Ham’s sleeve in January given his strong relationship with a player he managed at Manchester City, with England Under 21s, in the Great Britain 2012 London Olympics squad and as caretaker boss of the senior England team.
Stuart Pearce brings on Daniel Sturridge for England during his time as caretaker boss
Sturridge was one of three strikers Pearce called up for the one-off Olympics squad which further highlights how highly the Nottingham Forest legend rates him.
Any deal would likely be a loan with an option to buy, which will obviously depend on whether West Ham retain their Premier League status.
And Pearce’s relationship could be key to not only signing Sturridge but West Ham staying up.
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