Finding themselves in European contention does come with it’s problems for West Ham, as the ‘bigger’ clubs will be sniffing around the squad ready to pick off the top players from the club. As we’re seeing potentially with Winston Reid, the allure of European football is tempting him with a move away from Upton Park seeing as he only has six months left to run on his current contract, and that’s the route I’ve taken here, all five players will become free agents at the end of the season and could be available for a cut-price fee this month.
And we’ll begin at the heart of the defence where if you believe what you read in the papers, Winston Reid will not be at West Ham next season, leaving just James Tomkins, James Collins and untried 21-year-old Canadian defender Doneil Henry as centre back options. We are already thin at this position, which is why I’ve identified two European-based centre backs who could make astute signings for Sam Allardyce’s side.
The first is FC Basel’s Fabian Schär. The 23-year-old has been capped 10 times by the Swiss national side and has Champions League experience with Basel the last few seasons. Schär has been considered one of the top young defenders in Europe and has been linked with a move to fellow Champions League sides Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal in transfer windows past.
The other is Palermo’s Ezequiel Munoz. The former Boca Juniors youngster was brought to Italy by Palermo in 2010 and has been one of the rising young stars of Italian football. Now at the age of 24, it’s time he elevated his game to the next level, and a move to the Premier League could help his development. Yet to receive a cap from Argentina, Munoz is eligible for Italy as well, and has been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Newcastle.
The midfield has been a strong area for West Ham this season, with the addition of Alex Song on loan from Barcelona, and Cheikhou Kouyate from Anderlecht have really made the Hammers’ midfield one of the more powerful groups in the league.
There’s no certainty however that Song will return next season on a permanent deal, although talks are ongoing to make that happen. Plus, even though he is Mr West Ham, Mark Noble is a free agent at the end of the season, and it’s hard to imagine he could play anywhere else than West Ham, you need to prepare for the worst.
Aston Villa’s Fabian Delph has had a great few months, receiving his first England call-up and international caps this season, he’s in a position where he could easily leave the struggling Villa and join up with a stronger team, like West Ham for instance. The ball-playing midfielder has also been linked with a move to Tottenham and Liverpool.
Delph has just signed a new four-and-a-half-year deal at Villa Park, with the likelihood that it’s laden with clauses and potential ‘opt-out’s’ due to Villa’s currently league situation. Villa maintain they will not sell him this month as they battle the drop.
Carl Jenkinson has been a real bright spot this season for West Ham since signing on loan from Arsenal. His marauding runs from right back have been a breath of fresh air having suffered through several seasons of Joey O’Brien and Guy Demel – both lack the quality to play regularly for the club. However, if the papers are true, Arsenal are demanding a silly fee of £8m for Jenkinson, a player surplus to requirements at Arsenal, but the fact remains that the Hammers need a right back next season, whether it’s Jenkinson or not.
26-year old Cameroonian defender Allan Nyom has flip-flopped between Udinese and Granada the last few seasons on loan, but his contract is also up at the end of the season with Udinese not interested in extending it.
Nyom is a very attacking fullback who looks to beat the defender and put crosses into the box. He possesses a great deal of pace and trickery down the right hand side, much like Jenkinson, and could have a similar impact as the Englishman on the side. A lot of what West Ham do well comes from their fullbacks, so acquiring ones with real quality is essential.
But for all their driving runs, the final ball from West Ham this season has been poor, and it’s not just the fullbacks, the wingers have to answer for this as well. The likes of Matt Jarvis, Ricardo Vaz Te and Morgan Amalfitano have all been poor from wide at times this season, and upgrades are needed when we want to go a little more direct.
Having failed with a bid to sign him in the summer, Yehven Konoplyanka very much remains a target for the Hammers. The 25-year-old Ukrainian is willing to leave Dnipro either this month or in the summer for nothing, and the Hammers should be interested.
Able to come inside and create, as well as capably play on either wings (much like Stewart Downing), Konoplyanka will add some much needed quality in the final third of the pitch and create chances on a regular basis for the forwards who thrive in the air, namely Andy Carroll.
There you have it, five great options for West Ham to consider signing this month. If you think the Hammers should sign someone not mentioned, leave a comment explaining why that player should be considered, or tweet us at @TheIronsCircle.
