Unai Emery says he wants two Aston Villa stars out and they may fit the bill for West Ham United in the short-term.
There are big question marks hanging over West Ham in the January transfer window and Aston Villa may have some answers.
West Ham are desperately in need of a new forward and centre-back this month.
Reported Aston Villa target Thilo Kehrer has left the Hammers for Monaco. Mohammed Kudus and Nayef Aguerd are at AFCON and trio Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio are all injured.
On top of that West Ham captain Kurt Zouma has limited availability due to ongoing knee issues.
Emery says he wants two Villa stars out
Both West Ham and Aston Villa are challenging for a place in the Premier League top six with the season at the halfway stage.
So there are understandable concerns among West Ham fans that the loss of key players could damage their chances.
David Moyes and technical director Tim Steidten have the opportunity to bolster the squad before the window closes.
But as the top source inside West Ham told Hammers News at the weekend, no new arrivals are close ‘at the moment’.
West Ham look likely to struggle to get their hands on top targets in what is always a difficult window to do business.
Not least because clubs are reluctant to lose their best players midway through the season.
Well Villa are actively trying to move out a duo who have been heavily linked with West Ham under Moyes.
‘They can go’
Unai Emery says he wants two Aston Villa stars out and they may fit the bill for West Ham short-term.
Villa’s Spanish boss had publicly admitted he wants versatile defender Calum Chambers and attacker Bertrand Traore – who can play across the forward line – to leave as he looks to create space for signings of his own.
“Chambers and Traore can go and if that happens, we can think about adding one or two players to the squad – but we are not focused on a particular player,” Emery said.
“I want to increase the level of the players who are here between now and the end of the season. In our situation is not easy to get something in this transfer window.”
West Ham have been consistently linked with ex Arsenal man Chambers under Moyes. The 28-year-old, who can play across the back four, was even said to be interesting West Ham ahead of the last window.
Traore, also 28, reportedly saw a move to West Ham fall through before he joined Aston Villa back in 2020.
Duo may fit the bill for West Ham short-term
Neither player would necessarily hugely excite West Ham fans. And neither would really fit Steidten’s recruitment philosophy.
But given West Ham’s circumstances, the lack of progress and availability of players in the January window, the positions the Hammers need cover for and Villa’s willingness to ship out Chambers and Traore, is it a no-brainer for the short term at the very least?
Both players would improve West Ham’s squad. And – crucially – both tick the homegrown player box for the Hammers as Traore was on Chelsea’s books for three years before his 21st birthday.
An ideal situation might be a double loan where both players would be highly motivated to put themselves in the shop window.
Sometimes the best deals are not always the most glamorous. Craig Dawson anyone? This situation might just make short term sense for all parties.
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