As Julen Lopetegui fights to remain in the dugout at West Ham, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Hammers were preparing to be quite active in the January transfer window.
It has become increasingly clear that the Hammers have a number of weaknesses in the squad over the past few months, not least in attack.
Niklas Fullkrug has only just returned to fitness after spending three months sidelined with an achilles injury, leaving Michail Antonio, Danny Ings and Jarrod Bowen to deputise up front in his absence.
Given two of those three aforementioned players are now in their mid-30’s and the other is far more effective as a winger, it’s no surprise Lopetegui’s side has often struggled in attack so far this term.
The Hammers’ misfortunes up front have also been compounded by news of Michail Antonio’s road traffic accident last week, with his injuries reportedly expected to keep him out of action for over up to a year.
That means, despite Fullkrug’s return to fitness, West Ham will likely be in the market for another striker this winter.
With the January window just a few weeks away from opening, it seems the Hammers have been wasting no time in seeing what’s out there.
It is being reported by TBR Football that the Hammers were one of an array of Premier League club’s in attendance to watch Galatasaray beat Sivasspor 3-2 over the weekend.
They were there to run the rule on Turkey international Baris Alper Yilmaz, who scored in the game and is attracting increased interest from the Premier League for his form this season.
The 24-year-old six goals and one assist in 14 Turkish Super Lig outings this season, taking his overall tally for Galatasaray to 18 goals and 15 assists in 130 first-team appearances.
The forward, who primarily plays as a right-winger but can also feature on the left of a front three, is reportedly valued at £25m by the Turkish giants. However, with the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton and Aston Villa all keeping watch on his progress, too, it would be a surprise if he were to make the move to the Premier League for that price or less.
West Ham’s interest, though, is somewhat strange given the Hammers already have ample attackings options to call upon for coverage on the flanks. Jarrod Bowen is arguably one of the best right wingers in the Premier League right now, while Crysencio Summerville and Mohammed Kudus are also competing for playing time.
So the potential additional of Yilmaz only poses the question of what Lopetegui’s plans for the winger are.
It could be that he is considering transitioning Bowen into a full-time striker, which surely wouldn’t make a lot of sense given how much more effective he is from wide areas, even if he has performed well in that role in the past.
Or, it could be that the club is preparing for the exit of Kudus, who has been regularly been linked with a move away from east London over the last six months and is reportedly an £80m target for Arsenal this winter.
Either way, it certainly feels odd that West Ham are reportedly giving serious consideration towards signing a winger like Yilmaz when it’s so clear the squad is in desperate need of a proper, reliable striker.
