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Should West Ham move for Nicolai Muller after reports he won’t play for Hamburg again?

West Ham United's Scottish manager David Moyes gestures during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and West Ham United at A...
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West Ham United were reportedly keen to sign Nicolai Muller from Bundesliga side Hamburg before his injury.

Hamburg's midfielder Nicolai Mueller plays the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match Hamburger SV vs Borussia Moenchengladbach in Hamburg, northern Germany on...

If West Ham United are interested in their 2017 target Nicolai Muller, now is the time to make a move.

Bild claimed in July of last year that the Hamburg winger was on the radar of both the Hammers and Southampton and, looking back now, he might have wished he had departed the Bundesliga when given the chance.

Because one of Muller’s first kicks of the ball this season – the opening day winner against Augsburg – was also his last. The 30-year-old famously damaged knee ligaments in a rather over-zealous celebration and has not been seen since.

David Alaba of Muenchen challenges for the ball with Nicolai Mueller of Hamburg during the Bundesliga match between Hamburger SV and FC Bayern Muenchen at Imtech Arena on September 20,...

And according to Hamburger Morgenpost, Muller might not return before the end of the season. With his contract due to expire in the summer, and a Hamburg side looking destined for the drop lacking the funds to renew his deal, he may never play for the club again.

Time will tell, however, whether a move to the Premier League has passed him by. Even for free, it would be a risk to sign a player who has missed an entire season through injury and, at 30, the former Mainz attacker is no spring chicken.

Nicolai Mueller (L) of Hamburg and Ricardo Rodriguez (R) of Wolfsburg vie during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and Hamburger SV at Volkswagen Arena on January 21, 2017 in...

Yet, a Southampton side who have scored just 29 goals in 30 games this season could do with Muller’s speed of feet and thought, not to mention his ability to produce something out of nothing.

West Ham, too, have lacked a dash of attacking inspiration of late and Muller is the kind of intelligent link-man who could make Manuel Lanzini, Javier Hernandez and co resemble more a forward unit than a group of individuals.