Claret and Hugh say West Ham transfer priority has shifted, shares what rumours can be ignored in January
West Ham are no longer prioritising a striker in January due to the fine performances of Jarrod Bown and Mohammed Kudus, according to Claret & Hugh.
The Hammers have largely been playing without an out-and-out striker this term with Michail Antonio injured and Danny Ings out of favour.
It was thought they would look to add firepower in the winter but they may now be willing to wait until the summer to address the issue.
And Claret & Hugh say rumours of signing players from abroad can probably be ignored due to the need to sign British talent to meet home-grown quota rules.
They wrote (26 December): “West Ham‘s winter signing priorities have changed following the astonishing levels and performances of Mohammad Kudos and Jarrod Bowen. Assisted by Lucas Paqueta the pair have scored 23 goals between them making the Hammers need for a striker a lower requirement and one that may even wait until the summer.
“And one thing that is certain to be on David Sullivan, Tim Steidten and David Moyes‘ mind is the need to attract top British players to the club as the winter and next summer windows open. The current squad of 24 contains various young Brits from the academy who rarely get games and this is solely to ensure the rules for homegrown players are observed.
“The club has made it clear to Claret and Hugh that this will be a priority so it may be a good idea to ignore the rumours associated with various overseas players being linked with the club. It is becoming increasingly clear that the likes of Kehrer, Cornet and Fornals will be on their way and this will ensure slots are available for homegrown players from around the English leagues.”
Interesting
This is a pretty interesting update from Claret & Hugh because for so long it was thought David Moyes would want to add another striker to the ranks in the January transfer window, even accounting for the form of Bowen and Kudus.
It is no secret that West Ham have traditionally had struggles with strikers in the Premier League and Gianluca Scamacca was the latest to underwhelm, lasting just one season before returning to Serie A with Atalanta in the summer.
It is a mark of the faith Moyes has in his squad if it is true that he is not looking to add a striker in January, and to be fair Bowen and Kudus have proven more than capable of being able to shoulder the attacking burden.
Plus there is the added difficulty that transfers in January are extremely difficult to complete, with teams putting a premium on deals. Perhaps the West Ham hierarchy just think it is wise to bide their time on this one.
In other West Ham news, Said Benrahma’s exit may now just be days away.