Owners finally wake up to reality as West Ham plan big January transfer window – sources

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West Ham United co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold have finally woken up to reality ahead of the January transfer window.

While the media were busy bigging up the “big spending” owners in the summer – despite a modest £150million outlay over three transfer windows – supporters were concerned over a lack of strength in depth.

West Ham were always just one injury away from a crisis in key positions.

And so that has proved with long injuries to star player Lukasz Fabianski and Michail Antonio as well as key men such as Manuel Lanzini.

West Ham shipped out 11 players in the summer. And they signed six. But only two of those – Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals – were signed to go into the starting XI.

We know what you did last summer

And that is where the Hammers got it so badly wrong.

As any West Ham fan worth their salt will know, the side needed at least one more central midfielder, if not two.

At least one more striker was needed given the club got rid of ALL FIVE of last season’s forward line, replacing them with just one proven striker in Haller.

There were grave concerns in both fullback positions, particularly over Arthur Masuaku and Ryan Fredericks.

Those worries have deepened this season although Aaron Cresswell has stepped up his game of late.

In goal, West Ham signed two cheap, free agent goalkeepers to act as back-up to Fabianski.

Sources claim owners have woken up to reality and plan busy window

But while West Ham fans love David Martin, the brutal truth is neither he nor the hapless Roberto are up to it as a Premier League number two stopper.

Well there was good news for fans from West Ham sources at Football Insider.

A new report from the website claims Hammers sources have told them the owners will sanction moves for four players in those key positions in January.

“The Premier League club are ready to be one of the most active teams in next month’s transfer window following an opening half of the campaign that has failed to live up to expectations,” Football Insider claims.

“A West Ham source has told Football Insider that the club have identified four key positions to strengthen in the coming weeks – goalkeeper, right-back, central midfield and centre-forward.”

Penny-pinching owners can build bridges with angry fans

The report does contain a caveat that some of West Ham’s business may depend on whether they can move out current under-performers from the squad.

If accurate the information will be music to the ears of West Ham fans who have been angry at owners David Sullivan and David Gold for sanctioning a paltry £25million net spend in the last two transfer windows.

In the modern game that is simply nowhere near enough investment to be truly competitive in the Premier League.

The owners do not deserve special credit if they do splash the cash in January. Because they should have done that in the summer.

But they can start building some bridges with supporters by showing the kind of ambition they pledged when uprooting the Hammers faithful from their beloved Boleyn Ground home to move to the Stratford.