West Ham’s January transfer window was anything but straightforward.

The Hammers were forced to absorb the devastating loss of Lucas Paquetá, who returned to boyhood club Flamengo in a move that rocked their relegation fight. At the same time, there were positives to take, with Nuno Espírito Santo backed by four new arrivals.

Taty Castellanos has hit the ground running at the London Stadium, while Pablo Felipe and Adama Traoré added much-needed depth and pace in attacking areas. Deadline day also brought Axel Disasi through the door on loan to help stabilise a fragile defence.

But with the window now shut, it’s emerged that West Ham’s January business could have taken a very different shape.

West Ham Missed Out on Nketiah

West Ham were close to landing Crystal Palace striker Eddie Nketiah before an unfortunate injury brought the move to a halt.

According to The Sun, Palace had reached a broad agreement in principle with the Hammers over a deal worth around £27million earlier in the window. The Eagles were open to selling the 26-year-old forward as West Ham searched for extra firepower.

However, the proposed transfer was effectively scrapped when Nketiah picked up a hamstring injury during training, ruling him out of action and forcing Palace to pause all plans involving his departure.

The striker has yet to feature in 2026 as a result of the setback.

Further details suggest the negotiations were part of wider discussions between the two clubs. The Athletic report that Crystal Palace had explored the possibility of bringing Callum Wilson to Selhurst Park in a separate deal, though Palace boss Oliver Glasner was initially unconvinced. By the time his position softened, circumstances had already overtaken the talks.

Nketiah — once labelled “absolutely fantastic” by Roy Keane — would certainly have been an intriguing addition for West Ham.

There is no question over his technical ability or movement, but his output at the highest level has been inconsistent. He has only reached double figures in all competitions once in his career, with a best Premier League return of five goals in a single season.

Instead, West Ham will now place their faith in Castellanos and Pablo Felipe to deliver the goals required to drag the club away from danger — and prove that missing out on Nketiah was, in the end, the right call.