West Ham linked with Bournemouth pair; but Ryan Fraser deal should undoubtedly be the priority

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West Ham United have been linked with two players currently plying their trade at Bournemouth.

According to a recent report from Football London, West Ham have both Ryan Fraser and Harry Arter on their radar during the January transfer window.

Both men are currently playing for the Hammers’ potential relegation rivals Bournemouth, and it would perhaps be no surprise if, because of the Cherries’ current position in the table, neither deal exactly captured the imagination amongst the West Ham faithful.

But it could be argued that the Irons should unquestionably prioritise one move over the other and put their interest in Arter on the back-burner.

Arter has done extremely well during Bournemouth’s time in the Premier League, but the Republic of Ireland international is now 28, and the signings of Robert Snodgrass and Jose Fonte last January perhaps prove how risky it can be to target players from the teams around them in the table and who may not have that long left at their peak.

Fraser may not be as consistent a performer as his teammate right now, but he is surely the better option as he appears to have that ability create moments of real quality that will undoubtedly endear him to the Irons fans if he did end up joining.

The 23-year-old has scored three times this term, including two goals as Eddie Howe’s men came from behind to beat Everton in their final game of 2017.

If he joins and continues to progress, he could arguably become one of the most important players in the Hammers squad. It may appear to be a gamble, and the West Ham fans may have to put up with some frustration along the way, but there will be the moments of brilliance from the Scotsman that will arguably make that frustration seem worthwhile.