OPINION
West Ham United have had a busy summer so far after bringing in eight players for an outlay approaching £100million, and their spending does not look like it is over as we approach deadline day.
The Hammers are being continually linked with swoops for both strikers and midfielders, two positions which boss Manuel Pellegrini is clearly looking to strengthen.
The £10million exit of Cheikhou Kouyate to Crystal Palace this week has meant the club are short of one midfielder, while Pedro Obiang has also been linked with a return to Sampdoria for a similar amount of money.
While the club have told the unsettled Obiang that he cannot leave as they would struggle to find a replacement, as reported by Claret and Hugh, the Irons must instead look to a previous target as the perfect replacement and bin the Spaniard in the coming days.
That player that club have previously been linked to, both this summer and in January, is Belgium international Leander Dendoncker, who is desperate to secure a move away from Anderlecht.
As reported by Foot Mercato, the 23-year-old has already turned down moves to Palace and Wolves this summer as he seeks the perfect move, and West Ham must now reignite their interest.
It is reported that Dendoncker would likely cost around £17.8million this summer, and the combined fees received for Kouyate and Obiang would easily cover that outlay.
In return, the Hammers would be getting a hugely talented midfield enforcer who already has international experience with one of the best national teams in the world.
Dendoncker is strong in the tackle, decent in the air, and comfortable on the ball, and he has all the attributes needed to meet the rigours of Premier League football.
Most importantly however, the youngster is also adept at playing centre-back, and the Hammers need some cover in that area amid Winston Reid’s injury issues.
With Obiang pining for a move to Sampdoria there is little point in keeping him at the club, and a swoop for Dendoncker to replace him would be the perfect move for the club to round off the window.
They must now put the wheels in motion to reignite their interest and bring the Belgian to the Premier League before the start of the season next weekend.
