With Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe in the building already at the Premier League strugglers, and with West Ham United pursuing left-backs, goalkeepers and centre-halves, there is one position where a January addition feels somewhat superfluous.
But that has not stopped the links with a Bundesliga champion emerging.
West Ham were linked with a move for Sacha Boey of Bayern Munich back in December. The 25-year-old Frenchman has found regular starts hard to come by under Vincent Kompany this season.
Konrad Laimer, Joshua Kimmich and Josip Stanisic have all been selected ahead of Boey at times, meaning he has started only a third of their 15 Bundesliga matches and none of their Champions League fixtures.
Boey, then, probably needs a move. Whether West Ham United need him is another matter entirely.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka will return in good time from the Africa Cup of Nations. And, in his absence, Kyle Walker-Peters has been one of the club’s more consistent performers.
Yet with BILD reporting that Bayern are willing to negotiate a deal in the region of £13 million, and with director of sport Max Eberl opening up the window, the Hammers may yet come to the decision that this is one of those ‘market opportunities’ that demands their attention.
Bayern Munich chief Max Eberl will let Sacha Boey go if West Ham United make a move
While Eberl did not mention Boey by name when speaking to the press this week, Kicker and a number of other German outlets came to the same conclusion. Boey’s time in Bavaria is all-but up.
“We will have a wealth of very high-quality full-backs [when everyone is fit],” the former Borussia Monchengladbach chief said. “Then, it can get really difficult for one or two players.
“And then it makes sense [for the lesser-spotted full-backs] to consider a possible change.”
Bayern signed Boey from Galatasaray two years ago this month for a fee of around £25 million. Formerly of Rennes, Dijon and France’s Under-20 side, Boey would bring real big-game experience, as well as a creative streak.
He has recorded four assists and one goal in his 16 Bayern starts.
It was TZ who initially reported on West Ham’s interest. London rivals Crystal Palace are also in pursuit, albeit the veteran figure of Nathaniel Clyne has stepped in impressively during the recent absence of the buccaneering Daniel Munoz.
Nuno Espirito Santo wants more signings with Charlie Cresswell targeted
West Ham have spent £44 million already this month, but Nuno Espirito Santo is demanding more.
Should the head coach rotate his side during the FA Cup third round clash with Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, it may become apparent exactly how thin this squad has become.
Which youngster would you most like to see START vs QPR in the FA Cup?
A chance for an up-and-coming keeper? A full debut for Kante, perhaps?
“We still need more players,” Nuno said before the 2-1 defeat by relegation rivals Nottingham Forest. “We need to rebalance some positions. We have players going out.
“I think all of us (at the club) and the players realise that they need help.”
Charlie Cresswell remains a key target to strengthen the most porous defence in the Premier League. Reports claim that West Ham have made a bid for Bento, Al-Hilal’s Brazil international goalkeeper, following another Alphonse Areola mistake against Forest.
Former boss Alan Pardew has run out of patience with Areola, and he is unlikely to be the only one.
“There’s no point putting your head in the sand and saying, ‘Oh, West Ham have got this, they’ve got Jarrod Bowen, and blah blah blah, we’ll be alright. Callum [Wilson] will come good, etc. We’ve got this great boy [Mateus] Fernandes, got great pace, [Crysencio] Summerville’,” Pardew told talkSPORT.
“No. At the moment, this is a dysfunctional side. And I don’t care who the manager is, they’re in big, big trouble and they need to do some business in January.
“Now, they’ve signed [Pablo and Castellanos]. That’s going to be key, but that isn’t the answer. They need to get a defender in there, or two, to secure that back line, otherwise they are going down.
“I really worry for them defensively. You know, when I talk to West Ham fans who go every week, they’re telling me that there’s a continuing issue in that area. That’s the area, and the goalkeeper, the communication between those three.
“Set plays; keep conceding, keep conceding. They look vulnerable. People are bending it under the crossbar on purpose because the keeper is making poor decisions. [Areola] makes unbelievable saves, but there’s stuff about his game at the moment that is fundamentally flawed.”
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