West Ham Transfer Targets: My Picks at Centre-Back and Centre-Forward
West Ham’s 2-0 win over Leeds United in the FA Cup left me with a sense of relief. Although the Hammers played well enough to beat their injury-battered Premier League rivals, David Moyes’ side didn’t hit the high notes you might’ve come to expect from them.
Declan Rice, a true Rolls Royce of a midfielder, was resplendent in the centre of the park, while Manuel Lanzini and Nikola Vlasic, both of whom are starting to click into form, combined nicely ahead of him. Alphonse Areola also performed impressively, strengthening his case for more first-team football.
For the record, Dani Dyer’s boyfriend was excellent, too – though I’ve tapped furiously at my keyboard about that previously.
As a result, West Ham will travel to Kidderminster, the competition’s lowest-ranked side, in early February to contest an FA Cup fourth round tie. Maybe I’ll have new players to write about by then?
Time to Splash the Cash, Mr Křetínský?
Daniel Křetínský, a Czech billionaire, purchased a 27% stake in West Ham back in November. And although transfer speculation has swirled since, there’s nothing to suggest the 46-year-old is about to hand Moyes a duffle bag filled with cash to spend on partnering Michail Antonio with Kylian Mbappe.
Thus, there’s no use in wasting our time thinking about lofty transfer targets. If West Ham are going to buy anyone this window, they’ll have to be relatively cheap, unlikely to demand an astronomical wage, and readily available.
Moyes has said as much.
"Obviously, we are looking for players and we'd like to add to the squad if it's possible," Moyes said. "The board have made it clear that if I want to do it, and we can find the right players they will let it happen. So, we're looking yes."
And David Gold agreed: "We are still doing everything we can to get the players that the manager wants and there is a really good balance between the board and manager – it’s a positive, comfortable relationship right now.”
With that in mind, allow me to play transfer analyst - here are six players who West Ham should be targeting this January.
West Ham Transfer Targets: January 2022
At this juncture, West Ham have two areas of need – at centre-back and centre-forward. As depth is an issue in both positions, I’ll focus on players who would slot in at 11-14 on Moyes’ roster. In other words, they need to be close to securing a first-team place – but not quite there yet.
Centre-Back Targets for West Ham:
Okay, we’re working on the basis that West Ham’s depth-chart in central defence is:
1. Kurt Zouma (Short-Term Injury)
2. Angelo Ogbonna (Long-Term Injury)
3. Craig Dawson
4. Issa Diop
Thus, we’re looking for a player who can slot in between Dawson and Ogbonna – here are my suggestions:
Signing Benoit Badiashile this January would be a huge display of West Ham’s ambition. The 20-year-old has started eight of Monaco’s 19 Ligue 1 games this season and is stylistically similar to Zouma. He’s left-footed – making him the ideal Ogbonna replacement – and is much more comfortable on the ball than Dawson.
That said, he’s better at defending than ball-playing – averaging 2.23 interceptions per 90. The issue? He’s currently side-lined with a muscular injury.
Lens’ Facundo Medina could also be a good fit for West Ham. He’s only 22-years-old and has already broken into Argentina’s national team, in part because he can play at centre- or left-back. He’s an excellent left-footed passer and is comfortable defending in a high line.
Marcos Senesi is another interesting option. At 24-years-old, the Argentine left-footed centre-back has a similar passing range to Badiashile and is successful in the air despite being just 6-foot. His contract with Feyenoord expires in 2023.
There are plenty of left-footed centre-backs out there, it’s about time a new one arrived in Stratford.
Centre-Forward Targets for West Ham:
Organising West Ham’s depth-chart at centre-forward is simpler.
1. Michail Antonio
2. Jarrod Bowen
3. Andriy Yarmalenko
Yeah… It’d be pretty bleak if Concacaf’s best striker got injured. As a result, we’re looking for somebody who could slot in at number two in the pecking order.
Back in December, I floated (then-)Orlando City SC centre-forward Daryl Dike as a possible target. He’s since moved to West Bromwich Albion – which is annoying.
However, Mohamed Bayo is still available and linked with a move to the London Stadium. The 23-year-old has nine goals and two assists in 17 Ligue 1 appearances for Clermont Foot this season. He’s 6-foot-3, statistically similar to Alexander Isak, and completes a high percentage of his passes and dribbles for a player of his position.
He was sensational in Ligue 2 last term and is a big reason why Clermont Foot are on course to succeed in their battle against relegation. Signing him mid-season, given his importance to his current club, would be a challenge though.
Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, 22, could also make a lot of sense for West Ham. He’s out of contract in the summer, has been vocal about his desire for more first-team minutes, and is known for keeping it simple in possession. He has the legs and intelligence to stretch opposition defences and is a willing presser. He doesn’t have a proven track record at the elite level – but would provide Antonio with some competition.
I’m going left field with my final suggestion, 26-year-old Canadian international Cyle Larin. Although the NCAA graduate remains untested in Europe’s big five leagues, his goal-scoring record is impressive.
Editor's Note: Larin scores most of his goals from within the penalty area and is quick to follow up on rebounds. He’s a poacher… plus a little bit more on top.
University of Connecticut (2013-14): 39 appearances, 23 goals
Orlando City (2015-17): 87 appearances, 43 goals
Besiktas (2018-): 70 appearances, 30 goals
Loan – Zulte Waregem (2019-20): 29 appearances, 7 goals
Canada (2014-): 44 appearances, 22 goals
Larin often drops deep to receive possession, can play in multiple positions and has the physical presence required to be effective in the Premier League. His £28,000/week contract expires in 2023, with his play drawing praise from Kaka (a former teammate).
“I think Cyle can go far,” Kaka said at an MLS media day, via Goal.com. “Cyle is a very good player and the third season for us will be great, but I think Cyle can play in a big team in Europe as well.”
If Moyes wants his side to finish in the top six again, he’ll be doing everything in his power to bring another centre-forward to Chadwell Heath.
West Ham’s recent January signings include a predictable blend of busts – hello, Patrice Evra – and success stories – namely, Tomas Soucek and Bowen.
The Hammers need to acquire at least two quality players if they want the second half of their season to be as successful as the first. Let’s see if they do it.