West Ham Zone View: Reported transfer strategy doomed to fail
West Ham United’s January transfer business thus far – re-signing Darren Randolph – has been useful, if not anything close to spectacular.
However, there is still plenty of time, and it seems that the Irons are happy to bide their time before making any big splashes.
One of the more high-profile names linked with a London Stadium switch in recent weeks is Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley.
The latest report comes from Football Insider on Friday, who claim that the Hammers are prepared to wait until the final week of the window before reigniting their interest in the Blues star.
They’ve already had a loan bid rejected by Frank Lampard’s side, but are hopeful that their London neighbours will be more receptive at the end of the window, when they’ll have a better idea of what their squad will look like for the rest of the campaign.
That all makes perfect sense in theory, but the fact is it’s simply not going to work. Yes, David Moyes may want a reunion with his former Everton charge in east London, but this pursuit is surely doomed to fail.
Chelsea are still in the Champions League, and are attempting to secure a top four place to ensure that they enter into the competition again next season.
Yes, he’s only played 11 times for the Blues this term, but a large part of that was down to injuries.
He’s still a part of Lampard’s plans at Stamford Bridge, which was why they rejected the Irons’ loan offer.
Unless Chelsea buy a direct replacement for the England international, he’ll almost certainly be staying where he is.
In other West Ham news, a manager of a Midlands club is reportedly preparing a seven-figure loan bid for a Hammers starlet.