West Ham United boss David Moyes has been bemoaning a lack of midfield options and could solve his problem with a raid on struggling Stoke City.
West Ham have turned a corner under Moyes and sit 11th in the Premier League while Stoke continue to struggle to win games and attract their desired managers with fourth choice Paul Lambert taking over from Mark Hughes.
The Hammers have started to pull away from the relegation battle of late but Moyes has publicly stated he wants to add more quality and options to his midfield during the January transfer window.
Of particular concern to the Scot is the right side of midfield where Michail Antonio’s injury has left him desperately short with the Hammers overstocked on the opposite flank.
Moyes had looked into recalling Robert Snodgrass from his season-long loan at Aston Villa but has been told it is a non-starter.
So should he refocus his efforts on prising Xherdan Shaqiri away from Stoke and reuniting him with Hammers talisman Marko Arnautovic?
The Hammers proved in the summer they have the financial muscle to tempt Stoke into doing business after signing Arnautovic for £25 million.
Shaqiri has been criticised at times this season for a perceived lack of commitment on the pitch and failing to track back.
With so much uncertainty around the Bet 365 Stadium, it could be that the Potters might be willing to sanction sales to reinvest in the squad in a bid to stave off relegation.
Selling the Swiss international would be their best bet of raising a large sum with Lambert undoubtedly eyeing players he knows he can rely on to make Stoke difficult to beat again.
Reuniting Shaqiri with Arnautovic in East London would excite Hammers fans who have been waiting patiently for the club to make good on their promise of competing for top players in the transfer market since their big move to the London Stadium in 2016.
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