Report claims Manuel Pellegrini determined to have his way over left-back despite baffling new deals

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Manuel Pellegrini is determined to add to his squad in an unexpected area of the pitch come January.

A new report from Claret and Hugh – which regularly claims to have a top level source inside West Ham – has claimed Pellegrini still wants to sign a left-back and a centre-back in the window.

That’s despite Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku having signed new long-term deals recently.

Both new contracts left many West Ham fans baffled.

New deals left fans baffled

Neither player has proved themselves in a Hammers shirt over the last two seasons, let alone earned new deals.

Pellegrini was linked with a number of left-backs over the summer including Turkey captain Hasan Ali Kaldirim (BBC Sport).

But after being handed a meagre £25million net to spend in the summer, Pellegrini had to focus on more pressing improvements to the team.

According to Claret and Hugh, though, the Chilean is determined to have his way over the left-back situation.

Report claims Pellegrini still wants new left-back

The report claims the new deals for Cresswell and Masuaku were to avoid West Ham losing the players for nothing.

And the Hammers boss still wants a new left-back AND a new centre-back.

“We understand too that the manager is continuing to look for players in that area of the squad (left-back) along with central defenders in the January window,” C&H reports.

That will come as a relief to Hammers fans. Particularly as the injuries and questionable form that have dogged Cresswell and Masuaku’s West Ham careers have raised their ugly head again since they signed their new deals.

The lack of spending in the summer has not been lost on West Ham fans.

Pathetic summer spend has not gone unnoticed

Pellegrini has been left with no suitable back-up in three crucial areas of the pitch, in goal, defensive midfield and up front.

Roberto has already proved he is not capable of replacing Lukasz Fabianski. Ageing flop Carlos Sanchez is the only back-up for Declan Rice.

And most laughably West Ham shipped out all five of last season’s strikeforce – four of them proven Premier League players – and replaced them with one proven forward in Sebastien Haller.