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Would this £8million England international really represent good business for West Ham?

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Steven Caulker ChelseaGiven the impressive job done by West Ham United in the summer transfer window, I wasn’t expecting to do big business in the January offering. Low and behold, January has gone, and with it we’ve swung shut the door on an unfulfilling window (in which highlights included failing to sign our own player on loan from QPR and yet again bringing Carlton Cole back from the edge.)

There’s one transfer rumour, however, which has risen from the ashes of the transfer window and managed to stay alive – a rumour which links West Ham with Queens Park Rangers defender Steven Caulker.

According to the Mirror, West Ham had a bid for the centre-half rejected by QPR chairman Tony Fernandes on Deadline Day, but are interested in re-bidding for the 6’3 defender as a replacement for Winston Reid should QPR be relegated at the end of the season.

Caulker wouldn’t be a bad addition to the squad. We like a good, tall central defender, and given our constant injury worries for that particular position and Winston Reid’s almost certain departure at the end of the season, I’d like to have someone – anyone – as an option for that position so we don’t find ourselves caught out and needing to pop a ‘midfielder’ in as a centre-back when we play a top six team (even though, admittedly, Cheikhou Kouyate was outstanding against Manchester United.)

However, if I’m being quite cruel, I never really think it’s a great idea to sign defenders from clubs who leak goals like a sieve. At the time of writing, QPR are sitting rather firmly in the relegation zone having let in 43 goals – the most of any Premier League club thus far this season.

While Caulker is certainly not responsible for every one of those, it doesn’t bode well for how he’d perform for us. After all, it should be remembered that this isn’t Caulker’s first relegation rodeo – last season he was relegated with Cardiff City (who let in the second highest amount of goals in the Premier League that year.) While third time may be a charm for some, I think we may have had enough Nigel Quashies and Roger Johnsons at our club for this lifetime.

It’s not to say he’d do better at a better club that where he’s been so far – and one no longer concerned with relegation, like West Ham – but it may be one heck of a risk for West Ham to take. At 23 years of age, Caulker certainly has the potential to grow into a decent defender, but will he be the next Winston Reid, James Collins, James Tomkins or even Cheikhou Kouyate? For me, the jury is still out.

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4 comments

  • essesirons says:

    Stop the bloody adverts…….

  • dan says:

    the next james collins!!! hahahaha come on!!

  • Ryanlee says:

    No we don’t need him! If we are looking at a spot in Europe or getting in to the champs league then we need to go for the players that have played and play in them sort of competitions and hi temp games.same as the manager, we need some one who’s been there n got the tshirt! It’s always good to have a Englishman in your team but for £8m who lets in goals I think it’s a bad move. Mich Richards is a more positive target for us. Big Sam Carroll Nolan Jarvis thanks for your time and efforts for our beautiful club and wish you all the best finding a new club/clubs at the end of the season! Rafa Benitez is our man for next season he will get us pushing up the league aswell as attracting top players.

  • cliff hunter says:

    We have one of the best centre halts in the Premiership. Winston Reid came to us as a mediocre player and showed little improvement in the first couple of seasons. Giving Cualker a chance would be a plus to the squad, but not at £8m.

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