WHZ Top 3s: Best signings West Ham have made in January transfer window
Welcome to West Ham Zone’s Top 3s series, where we will take look through Hammers history and decide which people or events rank highest with topics as varied as players, managers and goals…
The January transfer window always throws up a few surprises and it is notorious for producing hidden gems and huge flops for numerous football clubs and West Ham is no different.
It is always a risk to sign a player in January as they have to slot straight into the team without the benefit of a pre-season.
This isn’t to say that there haven’t been some excellent January signings throughout the history of West Ham.
We have picked two players who have joined the Irons during the winter transfer window and gone on to have successful Hammers careers.
We also picked a player who didn’t stick around very long but showed enough quality in his short spell to be considered a decent transfer.
Here are West Ham Zone‘s top three Hammers winter signings.
3.) Matthew Upson – January 2007
Upson joined the Irons from Birmingham City after then Managing Director Karren Brady decided to accept West Ham’s offer despite the protests of Blues boss Steve Bruce. It is clear to see why Bruce was keen to keep hold of his star defender as Upson went on to be a continued presence in the Hammers backline and made 145 appearances for the Irons. His career didn’t get off to the best start though after suffering an injury on his debut and then another knock on his return. Injuries did blight Upson but he was solid signing.
2.) Demba Ba – January 2011
Ba joined the Hammers on a pay as you play basis due to a knee problem that was discovered when he had a medical at Stoke City a few weeks prior to his West Ham move. The Senegalese striker scored seven goals in 12 league games as the Hammers fought bravely against relegation. West Ham did finish bottom of the league that season but Ba did his absolute best to prevent that and he was one of the few players to finish the season with their dignity intact. He had done his best and left for Newcastle United that summer after just six months in the capital.
1.) Bobby Zamora – January 2004
It was always going to be Bobby Zamora in the number one spot. He joined in 2004 from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that saw Jermain Defoe go the other way. Zamora went on to score 40 goals in 152 appearances for the Hammers. One of his most important was the only goal of the 2005 Championship playoff final that saw the Irons return to the big time. He continued his goalscoring exploits in the Premier League before he signed for Fulham in 2008. Hammers hero.
In other West Ham news, Fabian Balbuena has paid tribute to one of his teammates after his performance against Sheffield United.