West Ham face a crucial and testing few weeks ahead as the January transfer window comes to a close, with David Moyes having a lot of business that he wants to complete ahead of the second half of the season.
The Hammers have enjoyed an upturn in form that has left them five points above the relegation zone but there’s still work to do for the East London side, as the margins near the foot of the Premier League this season are extremely tight.
A number of recruits are being chased by David Moyes but perhaps the most crucial is an attacking refresh in the side, which is set to see a number of forwards leave the London Stadium- and they will need to be replaced.
Both Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho are widely reported to be on their way out, whilst it’s stated that the club will listen to reasonable offers for summer signing Javier Hernandez. On top of that, Andy Carroll is attracting the interest of Chelsea.
Selling the striker would be debatable but the Hammers could make this work in their favour, by using Carroll’s services as makeweight in a deal to bring Michy Batshuayi the other way- as the Belgian striker is also poised to move.
Chelsea look set to allow Batshuayi to leave on-loan in January, as he has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League and will fall down the pecking order if a player like Carroll is signed, and West Ham should swoop.
Sevilla are amongst the sides linked with Batshuayi’s services but West Ham have a potential advantage due to Chelsea’s interest in Carroll, which could work in their favour. Whilst allowing a player of his calibre to leave would be a blow, the Hammers have moved beyond his playing style.
The situation is comparable to what was witnessed across London this week when Arsenal allowed Theo Walcott to join Everton, as the England international didn’t fit their system anymore. Carroll is the same and £100k-a-week is a lot to pay for someone who isn’t the right fit.
Batshuayi, meanwhile, would be a better option for the way West Ham play and signing him on a temporary basis would allow Moyes more time to identify the right attacking signing for the long-term, after a few years that have proved to be difficult for the Hammers in the market.
