West Ham United have issued a tantalising transfer statement with one week to go until the winter window slams shut.
- Hammers News exclusive
West Ham knew they needed to bring in signings long before the January transfer window opened.
Given the glut of injuries the Hammers have suffered in the last month, that need has become a necessity.
So fans are understandably frustrated that West Ham are yet to deliver any new arrivals for Graham Potter.
There are some mitigating circumstances of course.
Julen Lopetegui was sacked and he has been followed out of the West Ham exit by technical director Tim Steidten.
Majority owner David Sullivan is back in charge of transfers and Kyle Macauley has been reunited with Potter as West Ham’s new head of recruitment.
As Potter admitted himself, Macauley moving across from Chelsea was ‘always going to happen’ once he landed the Hammers job.
Clearly he will have arrived with ideas of players he and Potter want to bring to the London Stadium.
But West Ham’s budget and lure will be different to that of Chelsea.
Not least because West Ham have effectively wasted a season by dithering over Lopetegui for three months before pulling the trigger.
West Ham issue tantalising transfer statement
That has conspired to leave the club little time in which to do savvy deals.
But this is the January window and there are always deals to be done – especially in the final week.
A look back at history shows West Ham have actually done some of their best ever business in the winter window.
From Dean Ashton to Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen and Jesse Lingard.
A plethora of players have been linked with the Hammers in various positions.
Now West Ham have issued a tantalising transfer statement with one week left in the window.
Potter arguably needs a new signing in three areas – up front, midfield and centre-back.
Striker is the priority given Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug are both out long-term.
But a powerful box-to-box midfielder is key to the way Potter wants his team to play.
And a dominant centre-back would help given Jean-Clair Todibo is out for at least another four-six weeks and Konstantinos Mavropanos seems to make a costly mistake per game.
Hammers confirms talks for possible deals
Reports have claimed West Ham are close to signing several players from midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi to striker Brian Brobbey.
There was also an intriguing claim from Spain that Man United outcast Marcus Rashford has made it clear he wants to join West Ham.
But with seven days until the window slams shut at 11pm on Monday February 3rd, are there any signings in the offing?
Hammers News put that to the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners.
The brief response will fill Hammers supporters – and Potter – with hope.
“There are a few possible deals on the horizon,” the West Ham spokesman exclusively told Hammers News.
That is great to hear.
Now we just have to hope the Hammers can get at least a couple over the line.
And let’s hope for more like Bowen and Lingard over Benni McCarthy and Kalvin Phillips.
West Ham’s 10 best and 10 worst January signings
Best:
- Bowen
- Di Canio (not a January window signing, but signed in January)
- Soucek
- Neill
- Lingard
- Ashton
- Cole
- Snodgrass
- Ba
- Upson
Worst:
- Savio
- McCarthy
- Hugill
- Phillips
- Roger Johnson
- Mido
- Aliadiere
- Chamakh
- Pogatetz
- Scaloni
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