Where West Ham need to strengthen this summer

Article by e-West Ham's Brandon Freeman

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With the transfer window opening imminently the time has once again come for West Ham to be linked with their usual ridiculous list of players from ex-hammer Frank Lampard to Newcastle Jets veteran Emile Heskey. Despite the humour that is often found when reading who West Ham will be bringing to Upton Park, serious consideration must be given to who will be donning the claret and blue come August, especially given the horrors of last season which were in the main caused by an awful summer of transfer business.

One area where Sam Allardyce will have no concerns is between the sticks. Finish keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen has recently signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at West Ham past his fortieth birthday surely meaning he will finish his career at West Ham. Spanish goalkeeper Adrian also showed why he should be Big Sam’s number 1 following a string of excellent performances last season, most notably keeping a clean sheet against Chelsea which sparked West Ham’s revival and was the catalyst for their surge up the table. Slightly more worrying for West Ham however is who will be lining up in front of the goalkeeper. Defensive concerns have been high on Sam’s agenda for most of the year; with Winston Reid having missed a large proportion of the season through injury and will surely look to bring in some cover at centre back. One place the owners should certainly look to is the free transfers market, with former hammer Rio Ferdinand currently looking for a new club and former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott also told he will net be given a new contract next season. A new left back is also a priority this summer after George McCartney was not offered a new deal. The hammers have been rumoured to be in talks with Martin Olsson, who would deliver some much needed pace to West Ham’s defence. Right back Guy Demel has also been rumoured to be keen on a return to Hamburg and if this proves to be true an overhaul of defence will surely put a significant dent in the £20 million budget Big Sam has been given to deliver more attractive football.

Another area of real concern is midfield. Mohammed Diame is once again rumoured to be unsettled and will surely attract interest from the bigger clubs in the Premier League, however should West Ham sign Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate Diame’s exit should only have a minimal effect. Troubled midfielder Ravel Morrison also looks unlikely to return to West Ham and has been heavily linked with a permanent stay at QPR after a successful loan spell with the club. Morrison’s departure would be a heavy blow to West Ham as they look to deliver a more attacking style of football and Morrison has certainly proved that he is the type of player Sam Allardyce will need if he is going to appease the hammers faithful. The arrival of Mauro Zarate has given the West Ham frontline a significant boost and has West Ham fans dreaming of a prolific partnership with Andy Carroll. However, West Ham still appear to be in the hunt for another striker having been linked with Sadio Mane who has scored 42 goals in 79 games for Salzburg, which would surely end Mobido Maiga’s spell with West Ham which has been highly unsuccessful. Maiga has also failed to make an impact on loan at QPR, and could be shipped out in order to offload his wages, making space for new arrivals.

Therefore, it is clear that David Gold and Sullivan are serious about improving West Ham’s style of play so a number of new arrivals are likely, but key to our success on this window will most definitely be holding onto stars such as Ravel Morrison and Mohamed Diame who would provide the necessary flair should they stay on at Upton Park.

But will strengthening these areas be enough to bring more attacking football to West Ham, and where else does Sam Allardyce need to strengthen? Leave your comments below or follow our Twitter page @e_westham for the latest news and views, all things West Ham.

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