The exclusive revelation from Claret & Hugh that West Ham will need to offload players before buying in the January transfer window has certainly given me food for thought.
Julen Lopetegui has reportedly requested a new striker, and it seems a midfielder is also high on the wish list. But who would go to make room?
On the surface, it’s hard to identify players the club might be willing to offload, yet a deeper look reveals some possibilities. West Ham’s staggered, extended HP purchase of Jean-Clair Todibo shows they are more than capable of being financially creative.
This means the Hammers don’t necessarily need to sell big to buy big; it’s more about moving players on, freeing up squad space, and creating a bit of flexibility in the wage budget.
With this in mind, I suspect Vladimir Coufal, who is out of contract at the end of the season, could be an option, as well as Danny Ings.
Additionally, Andy Irving may be a tempting candidate to cash in on. Recently called up to the Scotland squad, his profile is certainly on the rise. However, with little chance of breaking into the Irons’ first team, there may well be an inclination to move him on.
While it’s easy to speculate about West Ham’s star players like Mohammed Kudus being sold, I believe it’s far more likely that Tim Steidten will focus on offloading fringe players instead.
