West Ham’s slide towards the relegation zone continued at the weekend with another sobering defeat, this time a 3–0 loss away at Manchester City.
Erling Haaland struck twice to push his astonishing season tally to 19 goals before Christmas, while Tijjani Reijnders added a third to pile further misery on Nuno Espírito Santo’s struggling side.
The result leaves the Hammers marooned in 18th place, now five points adrift of safety with Nottingham Forest just above the dotted line.
With defensive issues once again exposed and January fast approaching, the need for reinforcements is becoming increasingly urgent — and one potential arrival has now spoken out.
Souffian El Karouani Addresses West Ham Links
West Ham are firmly among the clubs monitoring FC Utrecht left-back Souffian El Karouani ahead of the winter window.
The Morocco international has enjoyed an outstanding campaign in the Eredivisie, producing remarkable numbers for a defender — three goals and 15 assists from 29 appearances — while also entering the final months of his contract.
Recent reports in the Netherlands suggested West Ham face competition from Eintracht Frankfurt, Bologna, Porto and Benfica, with suggestions the 25-year-old could be on the move as early as January.
Local outlet RTV Utrecht have since gone a step further, claiming El Karouani is already “on his way” to east London.
After playing the full match in Utrecht’s 2–1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven on Sunday, El Karouani was asked directly about his future — and his response did little to dampen speculation.
“It could happen, or it might not. In any case, I haven’t said goodbye in the dressing room yet. I haven’t said a word [about the situation],” he said.
Pressed specifically on West Ham’s interest, the full-back made it clear discussions are ongoing behind the scenes.
“It could happen. It’s a great club. My agent is working on my behalf. I’m waiting to see what happens. I can look back on a wonderful year in Utrecht,” El Karouani added.
West Ham’s defensive fragility has been a major factor in their alarming league position, and El Karouani’s attacking output from full-back makes him an intriguing option.
With his contract running down and the player openly acknowledging talks, this is one link that feels more concrete than most.
