Danny Mills urges West Ham to complete swoop for 29yo int’l who would ‘immediately’ improve side
West Ham are busy looking for ways to improve their squad over the coming weeks so that David Moyes has the best chances possible to drag the Hammers away from danger.
Talks are reportedly ongoing for Benfica youngster Gedson Fernandes, as per Football Insider, as well as veteran goalkeeper Darren Randolph, although that deal could hinge on whether or not the Irishman passes a medical, as per the same outlet.
Another name that has been linked is that of Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen, with Football Insider reporting that the Hammers have had a bid knocked back for the 29-year-old already, with the Potters holding out for a fee closer to £8 million.
And pundit Danny Mills believes that the move would be a positive one for the Irons.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “I think they need a little bit of solidity in that midfield area, they need some consistency and they need players that are used to playing in the Premier League.
“It’s not a long-term signing in any way, shape or form but in January it’s: ‘Who is available and who can improve our team immediately?’ Does Joe Allen go into that team and do that? He probably does, in all honesty.
“January, you’re looking at short term fixes, you’re not buying for the long-term. This is for the now. Who’s available, who can I get in now, at the right price that’s going to improve our team? I think Joe Allen does that.”
The West Ham Zone View on this is that Mills is absolutely spot on.
Fellow pundit Paul Robinson wasn’t too sure about the prospect of a deal, claiming that Allen was too old to be considered a viable long term option for the Hammers in an interview with Football Insider.
But Mills is right on this one. West Ham need solutions to their problems now, and one obvious issue in the squad is that they don’t have adequate cover in central midfield areas.
Allen may not be a world beater, but he has vast Premier League experience, and would be a relatively cheap way of ensuring that there is another option available to David Moyes beyond Declan Rice and Mark Noble.
Even if they get two or three seasons out of the Welsh international, you would have to deem the move a success.
In other news, Report: West Ham man made top transfer target by PL giants.