Latest West Ham transfer news: PSG ace linked; CL side want Fornals

The Hammers ended the window looking lot more robust than when they originally started in several areas of the club after a sluggish start to their business in the summer, one that left them as the only Premier League team not to sign a player at one stage.

Mexico international Edson Alvarez was the first newcomer to enter the building. He came from Dutch powerhouse Ajax in a deal estimated to be worth about £34 million. This was a win for the team, especially because he was strongly linked to Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund over the summer.

However, Ghanaian sensation Mohammed Kudus, who joined David Moyes and company from Ajax in a move costing £38 million, may be the most exciting addition of the summer. Kudus signed from Ajax like Alvarez did. It’s not surprising that the 23-year-old has generated so much excitement among the Hammers supporters after scoring 11 goals in 19 league starts last season.

Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse, who signed with the team in a £30 million move, was the east Londoners’ final important summer addition.

The Saints were relegated at the end of the previous season, so despite the fact that this is a wonderful acquisition, it always seemed as like it was going to happen.

Who did West Ham sell in the summer?

There is no escaping from the fact that the most significant piece of business done by West Ham this summer was the sale of club captain Declan Rice to cross-city rivals Arsenal. The Gunners paid £105m to secure the 24-year-old’s signature – a new record for a British player.

However, the midfielder was not the only player to leave the London Stadium this summer, with forwards Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Vlasic waving goodbye to the East End. Both strikers moved to Italy, with the former joining Atalanta in a deal worth £27m and the latter signing for Torino for £12m.

Club hero Manuel Lanzini also said his goodbyes to the West Ham faithful and joined Argentinian giants River Plate on a free.

Who could West Ham sign in January?

Hugo Ekitike – Paris Saint-Germain: PSG striker Hugo Ekitike is a player who has been courting Premier League interest for quite some time now, with 90min reporting he was incredibly close to joining Crystal Palace on deadline day before talks ultimately broke down.

However, the same publication has also reported that along with Palace’s renewed interest, West Ham are now keen on bringing the 21-year-old striker to the London Stadium in the winter.

With Kylian Mbappe as the team’s undisputed star, the former Stade Reims man has understandably struggled to get minutes so far this season; in fact, at the time of writing, he has just made one appearance in the league so far, racking up just nine minutes.

He has shown real talent when given the opportunity, though, scoring 13 goals in just 27 starts in his career thus far. He may be inexperienced, but he could be a gamble worth taking for the Hammers.

Mykola Matviyenko – Shakhtar Donetsk: While the need for a new striker might be more significant at the moment, the Hammers are also looking at strengthening their backline in the winter with the potential addition of Ukrainian defender Mykola Matviyenko, as per TEAMtalk.

The 27-year-old was targeted by fellow Premier League sides Brentford and Brighton last January, but in the aftermath of those failed moves, he signed a new deal with his current side, which could make things slightly more difficult for the Irons.

That said, TEAMtalk has reported that the player and his representatives are once again looking for a move and consider England to be a likely destination. The east Londoners might face stiff competition from the likes of Palace, Burnley, Everton and Sheffield United to land their man. Still, his vast experience would probably justify getting involved in a bidding war.

So far, the Ukraine international has racked up 175 appearances for Shakhtar and 59 international caps. His ability to play as both a full-back and centre-back would also give Moyes some much-needed flexibility.

Who could leave West Ham in January?

Pablo Fornals –

The Spanish midfielder had a rocky start to life in east London after moving there from Villarreal in 2019, but over the course of the following years, he has solidified himself as a key member of the squad and a player who can occasionally pull off victories.

The fact that his contract is slated to expire in the summer of 2019 has reportedly caused La Liga team Sevilla to take note and formulate plans to sign him in January.

The 27-year-old has demonstrated his value to the club, so in an ideal world, the Hammers would probably want to keep him, but with the possibility of losing him for free in the summer, they might just decide to accept whatever is offered to them in January.

How could West Ham line up in January?

How will the team be affected if the Hammers are successful in bringing in both of the prospective new additions mentioned above in the coming year? Could they crack the starting lineup?

It may be argued that Matviyenko and Ekitike both offer improvements over the current West Ham personnel in those positions. For instance, Ekitike would surely start above players like Danny Ings and Michail Antonio up front because both are closer to the end of their careers and neither has proven to be productive enough to assist the team move up the standings.

In Matviyenko’s example, even if he isn’t constantly beginning in the same spot, his versatility to play along the backline would almost certainly secure his spot in the starting XI most weeks.

Potential West Ham XI (4-2-3-1) Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Matviyenko, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Bowen, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta; Ekitike