OPINION
West Ham United must try and prise Phil Bardsley away from Premier League rivals Burnley in the January transfer window, as the Hammers are in dire need of a right-back at the moment.
Manuel Pellegrini’s injury list has been mounting up recently and one of those names includes Ryan Fredericks, who is set to be sidelined for a while with his setback.
That leaves veteran defender Pablo Zabaleta as the only quality right-back cover available, and this is just not viable for the rest of the season, especially as he is 33-years-old.
The Clarets’ Bardsley could just be the answer to all of the manager’s prayers this campaign – even if he is the same age as Zabaleta.
The 33-year-old has struggled for game time in the Premier League this season with just two appearances under Sean Dyche, although he did make four during Europa League qualifying.
That means the ex-Stoke City defender would no doubt consider a move away from Turf Moor in an attempt to find himself more first team opportunities on a regular basis – even potentially being available for a cut price deal.
The London Stadium would be an ideal destination for him as he could slot straight into Pellegrini’s starting XI – challenging Zabaleta in order to do so – thanks to his extensive experience in the top-flight.
Bardsley has made 261 appearances in the Premier League during his career so far, having previously starred for the likes of Manchester United, Sunderland and Aston Villa.
He is currently on £30,000-a-week [Spotrac] with Burnley at the moment which is a wage that the Irons would be more than capable of paying if he made the switch, as will as his possible price tag.
Seeming as the Mirror previously reported how Fredericks was set to be out for the rest of the season, January could not be a better time for the manager to swoop for Bardsley and he could prove to be a serious bargain for the Irons.
