West Ham January transfer window guide: Priority clear but more big spending unlikely | OneFootball

Hammers splashed out big in the summer when they were the sixth-highest net spenders in Europe

West Ham brought in nine players in a summer of change after Julen Lopetegui replaced David Moyes as manager.

Technical director Tim Steidten’s busy summer saw the Hammers end the window as the sixth-highest net spenders in Europe.

January is set to be much quieter, and it is possible that the club feel they can do without any incomings altogether.

That said, there are positions that will need addressing eventually.

Left-back. Aaron Cresswell has been a fine servant to West Ham, earning England caps along the way. But he has just turned 35 and is out of contract in the summer, when he could leave as a free agent.

This season, Lopetegui has used Emerson as his first-choice left-back and in recent weeks moved right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka to the left while playing Vladimir Coufal at right-back.

That is a situation that will need addressing eventually. Whether in January or the summer, a longer-term option to provide competition for Emerson should be recruited.

What else they need

New signings must be allowed to bed in at centre-back and in attacking midfield, where the club are likely to try to sign Carlos Soler permanently at the end of his season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain.

Signing a ready-made right winger wouldn’t hurt. Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Luis Guilherme are the club’s options there at the moment, but Kudus has tended to play on the left or through the middle, Guilherme is 18 and one for the future, and Bowen - the regular right-winger - has sometimes been used up front.

Possible ins

While West Ham have been credited with interest in Atalanta’s Belgian attacker Charles De Ketelaere, he will not be leaving the Serie A leaders in January.

The Hammers are also said to be keen on Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, who has played less under Fabian Hurzeler than he did under Roberto De Zerbi. Inter Milan centre-back Yann Bisseck is admired.

West Ham are reportedly interested in Brighton forward Evan Ferguson

Getty Images

Possible outs

Lucas Paqueta’s future remains to be seen.

He has investigations into alleged breaches of betting rules hanging over him in both England and Brazil, yet the Brazilian international is said to be keen on moving back home, according to a number of media outlets in Brazil. Could he leave as early as January?

West Ham are unlikely to allow any senior players to leave on short-term loans.