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West Ham must rival Tottenham for Dack after Yarmolenko injury

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OPINION

West Ham United recently suffered the debilitating news that winger Andriy Yarmolenko would miss six months of action after going off injured against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The Ukraine international had just been finding his feet at the London Stadium prior to the setback, and the news leaves manager Manuel Pellegrini scrabbling to find his replacement.

He could look to the players within his own squad, and he’ll have to for the next couple of months, but the January transfer window provides him with the opportunity to credibly replace Yarmolenko for the rest of the campaign.

With that said, the Hammers boss should look at rivalling Tottenham’s interest in Blackburn Rovers playmaker Bradley Dack.

The Express reported recently that Spurs chief Mauricio Pochettino was keen on bringing the 24-year-old to North London in January.

It might sound strange to suggest replacing a former Champions League player in Yarmolenko with an ex League One standout, but Dack is no normal Football League prospect. He is a proven goal threat from midfield who has made the step up to the Championship with ease this season.

Indeed, since he signed for Blackburn prior to last season Dack has been in the form of his career by scoring 26 goals in 56 games in all competitions, while bagging 16 assists.

He is equally adept at scoring goals as he is creating them, something that would see him fit in perfectly alongside the mercurial Marko Arnautovic at the London Stadium.

The success of James Maddison for Leicester City this season should show Premier League bosses that there is significant talent in the second tier ready and willing to make the step up to the top flight.

Dack is one such talent. He is an old-school attacking midfielder, not blessed with lightning pace but with intelligence and guile. He reminds you of Liverpool star Adam Lallana, who himself earned his stripes in the Football League with Southampton.

Obviously Spurs’s interest would make any West Ham signing a difficult proposition, but if Pellegrini were able to convince Dack that he has a better chance of first team football in East London then the Hammers might just be able to get their man.

It’s clear that the club needs to be proactive in January if they are to replace Yarmolenko, and what better way to do that than to steal a top class playmaker right out of their rivals’ hands.

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