The new injury update from West Ham United will be closely watched by Sunderland fans to see what it means for their star player, Jack Clarke.
Despite fielding a full-strength squad, the Hammers were only able to draw with Championship team Bristol City during last weekend’s FA Cup round of matches.
However, it appears that this backfired on the Europa Conference League winners, as Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta both sustained injuries in the game against the Robins.
The Brazilian midfielder, Bowen, had to be helped off the pitch on Sunday due to a calf injury; according to The Guardian, he could miss up to four weeks of action.
In order to maintain the Irons’ chances of playing in Europe, David Moyes may decide to strengthen his attacking options with Mohammed Kudus traveling with Ghana for the AFCON and Michail Antonio dealing with yet another setback from his most recent knee injury.
Furthermore, Sunderland’s top scorer has been considered as a possible addition to the London Stadium because to the emergence of Paqueta and Bowen’s most recent ailments.
The West Ham manager has stated, according to TEAMtalk, that he wants to increase competition for the left-winger spot, with Clarke being mentioned as a possible substitute.
About the injuries at West Ham, what did David Moyes say?
The Hammers manager was able to provide an update on his players and the extent of their injuries following the stalemate with Bristol City. “I couldn’t give you any update at all,” Moyes stated in an interview with The Evening Standard.
“I’ve not even spoken to the medical team since the end of the game, so I couldn’t give you anything about that – I think losing Lucas was a big turning point in the game.”
The January transfer market is currently open, but Moyes said, “I don’t think so, I don’t think it would necessarily play a part,” in response to a question about whether the day’s injuries could quicken the club’s pursuit of new recruits.
“Obviously, if we lose people in the long run, but nothing that I’ve heard indicates that anyone’s serious.”
This month, West Ham hopes to sign an agreement with Clarke
According to TEAMtalk, West Ham is eager to add the 23-year-old to their attacking options but is still figuring out how to get him to the capital. The player has been discussed at board level at the London Stadium.
According to Dharmesh Sheth of Sky Sports, Moyes’ team is eager to bring the former Tottenham attacker into the lineup this month.
It will require a substantial sum of money to entice Clarke to leave the Stadium of Light this month because Sunderland has made it clear that they do not want to sell him.
However, it hasn’t deterred West Ham, who are figuring out the best strategy to sign the Black Cats star.
It will be difficult for West Ham to close a deal in January due of Sunderland’s price tag
According to rumors, struggling Premier League team Sheffield United has also been considering a trade for Clarke. However, they may have moved on from him temporarily with the signing of Ben Brereton Diaz on loan from Villarreal.
Any club looking to make a major acquisition in January will find it challenging as teams are unlikely to trade in on their finest players, therefore their value will only rise as the summer transfer window approaches.
However, according to Sunderland reporter Michael Graham, the Black Cats’ management would not be tempted to accept a £20 million offer, thus it will probably need at least £25 million to convince Clarke to consider leaving the Stadium of Light in January.
Will West Ham afford to pay that much for a player in the Championship? They may just take that chance again after doing so four years ago in the January window when they paid Hull City £20 million for Bowen.
