Clearly in need of reinforcements for the second half of the season, especially up top, West Ham are likely to be one of the more active clubs on the transfer market this January.
Slaven Bilic’s purchases of both Jonathan Calleri and Simone Zaza have proved wasteful, but it’s not only strikers the Hammers are looking at, with claims in Italy that the London club could be after a centre-back too.
Lazio’s Wesley Hoedt, who was an apparent transfer target for both Middlesbrough and Southampton over the summer, is one of the few players likely to leave the Serie A club this winter, mostly because he wants to.
Only used six times by Simone Inzaghi this season, scoring one goal in the process, the 22-year-old Dutch centre-back has, according to Il Tempo, asked to go on loan for the next six months in order to get some game time under his belt and avoid his development from stagnating.
The Italian newspaper claim that both Hamburg in Germany and West Ham have enquired about his availability.
This isn’t the first mention of West Ham’s interest in the player, as La Repubblica also mentioned it nearly a week ago, but that appears to have slipped under our radar until now.
Either way, it appears West Ham are looking to spend big on a new striker (Jermaine Defoe?) and perhaps pick up a loan or two for cover along the way, just in case injuries start plaguing Slaven Bilic’s side.
