West Ham United’s January transfer window looked to be ending on a real positive note when they signed Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario on loan until the end of the season on Friday, with a number of other names expected to arrive by the 11pm deadline on Wednesday – but it didn’t prove to be the case.
Irons manager David Moyes is currently without the likes of Andy Carroll, Marko Arnautovic, Manuel Lanzini and Pedro Obiang because of injury, while Arthur Masuaku picked up a six-match suspension after being sent off for spitting in the 2-0 defeat against Wigan Athletic in the fourth round of the FA Cup last weekend.
Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew also left the club and Moyes would have been determined to bring in a striker, an attacking midfielder and a central/defensive midfielder before the window slammed shut.
He only got one of those though in the form of Preston North End’s Jordan Hugill, and you can’t help but feel the 25-year-old centre-forward wasn’t the east London outfit’s first-choice option in that position.
The struggle to get deals done means that Moyes has to go with what he’s got now for the rest of the season – with even fewer options available to him for the next couple of matches because of injuries and suspensions – and there will be certain players that he will be demanding more from in the coming weeks and months.
Here are three West Ham players that must step up after the club’s transfer window failings…
Cheikhou Kouyate
West Ham’s failure to bring in a new defensive or central midfielder despite being linked with the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Leander Dendoncker and Ibrahim Amadou throughout the month – coupled with an injury to Pedro Obiang – has left the club a little short of options in the middle of the park.
Kouyate certainly hasn’t been at his best this term – and not as good or as influential as he has been in recent campaigns – but he is likely to be a regular in central midfield for the rest of the season.
The Senegal international really needs to step up from both a defensive point of view – making sure he is shielding the defence – while also offering something going forward too with a lack of creativity in central areas when Manuel Lanzini isn’t on the pitch.
Michail Antonio
West Ham weren’t necessarily looking for a new winger during the January window – probably because Moyes knew that the 28-year-old was returning from injury – but the attacker could have a big role to play in the coming weeks – as long as he sorts his attitude out.
Antonio is capable of playing out wide or as a makeshift centre-forward and his versatility and quality could be crucial in the upcoming fixtures, but he needs to sort himself out off the pitch after missing the draw against Bournemouth in midweek having turned up late for a team meeting – not for the first time according to his manager.
With Andy Carroll and Marko Arnautovic injured, Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew leaving and new boy Jordan Hugill unlikely to be a starter right away, the former Reading man needs to start playing his part and try to rediscover the brilliant form he showed last season.
Mark Noble
With no new signings in midfield combined with the injury to Pedro Obiang, the West Ham skipper is now a key player for the team both now and likely for the rest of the season.
The 30-year-old was in and out of the side in October and November after a drop of form – the same one many of his teammates also suffered – but he is back to being a key player under Moyes and has played a vital role at both ends of the pitch in recent weeks.
Noble scored in the 4-1 win at Huddersfield and from the penalty spot in the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night, and as well as helping his defence out he needs carry on having that impact in the final third too – especially with Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic currently absent.
Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.