West Ham could reignite their interest in Scott McTominay as Man Utd midfielder available in January
Scott McTominay will likely be made available for transfer once again in January, according to the Evening Standard, having been a target of West Ham United in the summer transfer window.
The newspaper reported on Wednesday (6 September) that the Scottish midfielder is set to still be for sale when the transfer window opens again in the new year, with Fulham keen on signing the 26-year-old should they lose Joao Palhinha.
David Moyes’ side had a bid rejected for Palhinha during the summer window, with the Portuguese the Irons “dream” midfield target [Fabrizio Romano, 27 July] and they later turned their attentions to McTominay attempting to sign him in a joint £50m alongside Harry Maguire [BBC Sport, 7 August].
The Hammers instead signed James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez to bolster their ranks in the middle or the park but with the McTominay once again available at the start of 2024, there is every chance Moyes may move again for his fellow Scotsman.
However, he is one of two targets identified by Fulham as a potential replacement should Palhinha complete the switch to Bayern Munich in the new year, having been so close to joining the German champions on deadline day.
Midfield depth
The Hammers have started the season incredibly, despite missing out on McTominay in the summer and part of that impressive run of form is down to the inspired performances of Ward-Prowse and Alvarez in midfield, where both new signings have shone.
On the face of it therefore a move for the Manchester United midfielder again would seem unnecessary as he is by no means a guaranteed starter at the London Stadium, especially with Thomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta also regular fixtures in the middle of the park.
But in terms of genuine midfielders, there isn’t much depth afforded to Moyes and if the Irons were to pick up a couple of injuries, they would be looking short of options quite quickly and a move for McTominay would solve that issue.
However, the reported fee to secure the 26-year-old is by no means cheap, with Manchester United valuing him at at least £40m (The Sun, 26 July). The Hammers would be better off spending that money in other areas of the pitch where they are short of options.
Moyes still doesn’t have a consistent striker in his ranks and if West Ham have the option of spending £40m on a new forward or on McTominay to add midfield depth, they should invest at the top end of the pitch.
In other West Ham news, the Irons are already interested in a potential move for Tammy Abraham this summer