West Ham will only be able to add a new player to their Premier League squad if they are homegrown or under the age of 21, according to Claret and Hugh.
The reliable West Ham news source state that reports linking the Hammers with free agent signings like Hatem Ben Arfa and Shinji Okazaki are wide of the mark after the club published their Premier League squad list.
The Irons have included the maximum of 17 non-homegrown players in their 23-man squad, meaning that any potential out-of-window signings over the age of 21 would have to be considered homegrown to fill the last two vacant spaces.
Under-21 players do not have to be registered to play in the top flight, meaning the club could sign an out of contract youngster and play him before January.
Opinion
The Hammers are looking awfully light up front and you can understand why they have been linked with a number of attacking options outside of the window. Javier Hernandez’s exit leaves Sebastien Haller and Albian Ajeti as Manuel Pellegrini’s only senior centre forwards, with youngster Xande Silva set to come back from injury next month. A serious blow to Haller and the Hammers would be relying heavily on two 22-year-olds to deliver the goals they need to succeed. The problem for the Irons is that there do not seem to be too many options out there who fit the bill should they need to bolster their attacking options. Manuel Pellegrini might be wishing he had kept Andy Carroll, who would have been able to take one of those homegrown player spots, on board for just one more season. Now everyone at the London Stadium is praying nothing bad happens to Haller for four months. Considering West Ham’s injury record, you would be brave betting on those odds.
