If Stoke’s Joe Allen moves to the London Stadium, one key man could suffer in the capital.
West Ham United are targeting Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen in the January transfer window, according to the Mirror.
Allen has impressed at Stoke since signing from Liverpool in 2016 and also starred in the Euros, but the Potters’ form has deteriorated this term and David Moyes could make his move to pinch a star man.
At Swansea City and then at Liverpool, Allen was a metronomic presence in the middle of the pitch that kept play moving and sought out more adventurous team-mates.
But the Wales international has shown another side to his game at Stoke, scoring a career-best six league goals last term.
And these two sides to Allen’s game could make him a key addition for West Ham, where he would surely end Mark Noble’s time as a regular starter at the London Stadium.
Noble’s career has been one of peaks and troughs in recent years, with fans calling for international recognition as often as they have wanted the Hammers captain to be dropped.
Either way, it remains that Noble lacks the star quality to be a driving force in the Premier League in 2018; Allen, on the other hand, does not.
It appears as though Moyes has identified the midfield as an area in which West Ham must improve and, while a fans’ favourite may suffer, fans of the London club at least know a proven upgrade is on the cards.
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