Football journalist Dean Jones has issued his inside knowledge on the transfer plans at West Ham United just days before the January window opens.
Speaking on the latest episode of Touchline Talk, the insider has revealed the Hammers are looking to add a centre-back and a striker to their squad in the market.
Which is more important to address?
Striker
Centre-back
These claims come at a time where David Moyes has been without Michail Antonio due to a positive virus test this week, while he has arguably been without an in-form Antonio since September.
And the Hammers have been hit hard with injuries at centre-back this season, with Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna both ruled out of action for a lengthy period of time due to their respective issues.
Jones outlined what the plans are for the Hammers in the new year.
He said: “I mean, West Ham want to sign a centre-back and a striker and I’m pretty sure [they’ll] do that. It’s more of a case now that they’re looking at loans rather than buy options, partly because of the way that everything’s changing at the moment with [the virus]. But also because they’re really just looking short-term, see what their success is and then they can build properly in the summer on the back of that and know what their finances are.”
TIF Thoughts on West Ham’s window…
It has been a tricky few weeks for the Hammers, who have seen their Premier League form drop off and been dumped out of the Carabao Cup by London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
However, they remain well within the race for the top four as they trail fourth-placed Arsenal by just four points and with a game in hand.
In February, the Hammers will return to Europa League action, which will have to be considered, with a potential run in the FA Cup also adding games to their schedule.
Given their dip in form, injuries and a potentially hectic schedule, we think it is absolutely essential West Ham invest wisely next month to bolster their squad for a big second half of the season ahead of them.
In other news: ‘He can do it on the international stage’ – Ex reveals West Ham eyeing ‘interesting’ transfer