West Ham would improve overnight with Chelsea ace but could struggle for loan
West Ham United would improve their squad in an instant if they lured Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea, but may struggle to agree a loan deal.
The Hammers have Dewsbury-Hall, 26, on their January list of targets [Sky Sports, 6 January] but must be careful to the toe the PSR line, having spent boldly in the summer on arrivals who have provided mixed contributions.
Loan deals are consequently the priority for a club enduring a spell of instability, with Julen Lopetegui potentially about to be sacked after just 22 games in charge.
Dewsbury-Hall joined Chelsea from Leicester City to reunite with Enzo Maresca in a £30million summer transfer, but has yet to earn a Premier League start at Stamford Bridge and has played just 55 minutes of league action.
West Ham would strike gold with straight Dewsbury-Hall loan
Chelsea are looking to cut several of their squad loose this month having approached the season with a bloated roster of players.
Maresca has as a result effectively split his squad in half, with one section playing predominantly in the Premier League while the domestic cups and Conference League bring out the entire second string.
For 14th-placed West Ham, whose summer recruitment has largely nosedived under Lopetegui to great supporter frustration, Dewsbury-Hall’s attacking nous would unlock a productivity which has been severely lacking.
Creative outlets such as the former Leicester man, who scored 12 league goals last season, would help out the likes of Niclas Fullkrug at the focal point of the attack. In the short term, he would bolster the forward options in the absence of Jarrod Bowen.
Whether the Irons can convince Chelsea to sanction a straight loan without an obligation to buy is another matter, which may hinge heavily on the wages the Hammers board are willing to contribute.
Dewsbury-Hall is under contract until 2029 at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues in no immediate hurry to sell but a departure could be in their interest for their own PSR concerns.
In other West Ham news, Paulo Fonseca is under heavy consideration to replace Lopetegui following a major update.
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