These three West Ham United men should be sold in January.
With West Ham United sitting two points above the relegation zone in the Premier League table, there is a good chance that co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold are willing to spend more money in January to reduce the risk of relegation.
At the moment there is a lot of doubt as to whether Slaven Bilic will even be manager come the new year, given that West Ham have seven points from seven games despite a summer of hefty investment.
Whether it’s on transfer fees or paying big wages – or in Javier Hernandez’s case, both! – the Irons signed up to a number of expensive agreements but if there are further additions to the playing staff then some will have to be offloaded.
And here, HITC Sport looks at three players who the East Londoners should shift to make room for new recruits when the transfer window re-opens.
Mark Noble
He might be West Ham through and through but something is desperately wrong if sentiment is the only reason why he has remained at the club.
The 30-year-old midfielder has developed into something of a villainous figure among large sections of the fanbase, which is disappointing but the fact he is not the player he once was.
Andre Ayew
Speaking of big investments, the Ghana international joined the Hammers in a then-club record £20.5 million deal 14 months ago but he has represented a poor return for the money. With seven Premier League goals in 32 outings, Ayew has not lived up to his half of the bargain and Sullivan and Gold should look to recoup as much of that as possible in January.
James Collins
The 34-year-old defender, whose contract expires in the summer, is a hugely popular figure among West Ham fans and players alike, but if a better centre-half becomes available in January then the London side should move for him and offload Collins.
He is not going to get any younger and defensive improvements are key if West Ham are to move forward.
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