West Ham splashed £120million on seven new players last summer, and yet five months later they already need reinforcements.
Injuries, age, a betting probe and a car crash have held back the squad already this term, to the point it is a bit of a surprise to see them flying as high as 13th – a point and a place above Manchester United, and level with Tottenham.
Of this season’s recruits, £15m buy Aaron Wan-Bissaka has probably shone the brightest, while Max Kilman has impressed but also has a £40m price tag to live up to.
But any transfer dealings may need to be put on hold with manager Julen Lopetegui under so much pressure, as any new head coach would likely want to have their say.
So what can West Ham fans expect this January? Here, as part of our transfer briefing series looking at Premier League clubs ahead of the transfer window, our West Ham expert James Sharpe answers the five key questions at the London Stadium.
West Ham splashed £120million in summer but find themselves needing reinforcements
Any transfers may need to be put on hold with Julen Lopetegui under so much pressure
What do West Ham need?
What don’t they need?! Their first-choice keeper Lukasz Fabianski is nearly 40, they have a playmaker in Lucas Paqueta who could face a substantial ban for match-fixing in a few months, three of their four full backs are in their 30s and their main striker remains in hospital after a car crash that will likely see him ruled out for a year, and could well end his career.
West Ham would like another central midfielder, a couple of full backs and a winger but their priority is a top striker. Not just because of Michail Antonio’s horror crash, but with £27m summer signing Niclas Fullkrug still to set the world alight and suffering with injury and Danny Ings being past his prime but, as someone close to the West Ham transfer dealings told Mail Sport, top strikers ‘are not easy to find’.
Do they have money to spend?
No, not unless they sell. After the big spend in the summer, sources have told Mail Sport that the club will need to sell players before they buy to make sure they stay in line with Premier League profit and sustainability rules.
So, that leaves the club in a much weaker position knowing that they will have to drum up interest in their own players to bring anyone in.
For this reason, it’s expected to be a relatively quiet January transfer window for Lopetegui and West Ham.
West Ham need a number of positions but a striker…