The January transfer window is drawing ever closer, and West Ham United may be busy under David Moyes.
West Ham United have enjoyed an upturn in results under David Moyes of late, but they are still in need of reinforcements during the upcoming January transfer window.
The Hammers chose to sack manager Slaven Bilic last month, and Moyes is now looking to guide West Ham away from the relegation zone and towards midtable.
However, with some issues to resolve in the West Ham squad, Moyes may be eager to get to work in the January transfer window, though it’s unclear just how much money he will have at his disposal.
With that in mind, here is a five-point plan for West Ham United’s January transfer window…
Sign a new midfielder
With Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouyate inconsistent at best, and Mark Noble not quite the heartbeat he once was, manager Moyes may well be looking for a new midfielder in January. The Sun note that long-term target William Carvalho could be back on the radar, whilst The Mirror claim that they hope to hijack Everton’s interest in Steven N’Zonzi. It seems that the Hammers are eyeing up an imposing central midfielder to dominate the middle of the park, and landing one of those two players would be a huge boost for Moyes.
Keep Lanzini out of Tottenham’s clutches
Last month, ESPN reported that Tottenham Hotspur were lining up a shock raid on their London rivals, as manager Mauricio Pochettino wanted to bring West Ham ace Manuel Lanzini to Spurs. Lanzini missed the early stages of the season through injury, but has notched one goal and six assists in his last 10 outings in all competitions. The Argentinian, 24, is West Ham’s main creative outlet, and if the Hammers are to stay away from the bottom three and progress up the table, they must keep Lanzini at the club – and especially keep him out of a local rivals’ clutches.
Don’t cash in on the kids
A report from The Mirror last month suggested that West Ham were ready to cash in on three of their most talented young players – Declan Rice, Domingos Quina and Reece Oxford – in order to fund moves for players who could help the club this season. However, West Ham went down that route over the summer, bringing in Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez, with little success. Rather than cash in on the young talent for more players 28 or older, West Ham need to keep their prospects and look to build for the future as well as stay in the top flight this term.
Resolve Diafra Sakho’s future
One player who has been disgruntled at West Ham is striker Diafra Sakho, who had a bust-up with manager David Moyes earlier this week according to the Daily Mail. Having attempted to force through a summer move away from the club, the time may finally be right for Sakho to move on in January if the Hammers can find a buyer. The Senegal international, 27, has scored twice this season but hasn’t started a single game in the Premier League, and if West Ham can recoup around £10million to £15million on their unhappy forward, then they should look to sell next month.
Loan out Antonio Martinez
Even if Sakho leaves, Moyes still has the likes of Hernandez, Andy Carroll, Michail Antonio, Marko Arnautovic and Andre Ayew in attack, meaning young Spaniard Antonio Martinez may not be boosted at all. The former Valencia talent has been prolific for West Ham’s development squad, with many fans calling for him to play in the first team – but that opportunity has not arisen. A January loan move may help Martinez, after joining Oxford in January of last term, with a Championship move maybe best for his progression and development.
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