OPINION
West Ham United have been linked with a summer swoop for Manchester United veteran Antonio Valencia, and the latest development must see them step up their interest.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Valencia is now open to leaving Old Trafford in the January window instead of the summer, with the 33-year-old stalwart seeing his relationship with manager Jose Mourinho deteriorate in recent weeks.
The newspaper claim that Valencia believes it unlikely that Mourinho will trust him again after their falling out in October, with his agent having been in London to discuss his options in the coming weeks.
Valencia is out of contract in the summer but United do have an option to extend that deal by another 12 months, a move which is however becoming more and more unlikely.
The news that Valencia is now considering a January exit should come as music to the ears of Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini, who is in desperate need of reinforcements at right-back.
An injury to Ryan Fredericks has left Pablo Zabaleta as his only option in that area, and with the Argentine unable to play every single game due to his age, that is a serious problem for the Chilean.
Bringing in Valencia in the January window would be a masterstroke from Pellegrini, with his experience adding so much to a West Ham squad in need of more leadership figures.
Obviously Valencia is getting on a bit but the Ecuador international is still exceptionally fit and rarely injured, meaning he would be a dependable option for the club for at least two or three more seasons.
With his contract up in the summer there is no reason why the Hammers would not be able to negotiate a cut-price deal for the 33-year-old in the upcoming window in a move which would give them a much-needed boost in defence ahead of the business end of the season.