West Ham United likely to explore loan market in January transfer window
West Ham United will be confined to the loan market at best when the January transfer window opens, according to Claret and Hugh.
According to the reliable Hammers journalists (19 October), it is understood that given the amount of money spent over the summer, the East Londoners will only be exploring loan opportunities but the need for a striker remains.
West Ham have been linked with a return move for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire (TEAMTalk, 18 October) after his failed summer transfer and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips but Claret & Hugh report that those rumours are untrue.
They wrote: “The reality at West Ham this season, however, is that beyond the striker situation, we are more or less okay and, given the money spent in the summer, we will be in the loan market at best.
“Maguire is a no-no and Phillips is not required given the midfield we have available so we are all better off ignoring the headline-hungry sites beating up the recycled stuff we have seen of late!”
Striker needed
The Hammers can certainly be happy with their summer business and it’s certainly showing so far with all of them making some sort of impression, especially James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez.
Mohammed Kudus and Konstantinos Mavropanos are yet to be given the immediate starts they would have hoped when they made their big-money moves over the summer, but Moyes’ patience over them is the right call.
However, both players certainly possess the required mentality and qualities to make an impression like Ward-Prowse which certainly highlights the brilliant business Moyes and Tim Steidten undertook soon after losing Declan Rice.
The Irons may feel like the complete package right now but Moyes will be desperate for a reliable goalscorer right now given Michail Antonio and Danny Ings’ inconsistencies.
The latter looked the perfect and sensible addition when he joined in January but that move has so far failed and should the Hammers have any cash in the bank in January then a move for a stellar goalscorer isn’t out of the picture.
However, it’s incredibly hard to acquire a top-calibre number nine in the winter compared to the summer. A tough task which means Moyes may have to do with what he has until the summer.
In other West Ham news, one European newspaper was left in awe at one London Stadium star’s performance over the international break this week.