Our series of January transfer window wrap-ups continues with a look at the business done by high-flying West Ham.
Who arrived?
Having identified two areas of weakness in the squad, Slaven Bilic and the West Ham hierarchy have brought in two players. This might seem an obvious thing to do, but in the context of the scatter-gun approach to transfers many clubs take in this modern Premier League, West Ham’s calm conscientiousness in this window, as well as the last, is further proof that their transfer policy is sound in the extreme. A right-back and a striker was needed, and a right-back and striker have been acquired, with Sam Byram and Emmanuel Emenike coming from Leeds and Fenerbahçe respectively.
Byram is 22, and was out of contract in the summer, so West Ham beat out Everton to secure him, for an undisclosed fee (thought to be around £4 million). Carl Jenkinson has not had a successful second loan at West Ham, and, aside from accruing an infamous collection of defensive errors this season, has now returned to Arsenal with a cruciate ligament injury that requires surgery. Consequently, Byram’s arrival has been timed perfectly, and when he replaced the injured Jenkinson in the 2-2 draw against Manchester City, he looked remarkably at ease on the pitch, even in these new, daunting surroundings and among unfamiliar teammates. Asked about his decision to reject a contract offer from Everton, Byram cited Bilic as a crucial persuader:
“It was as if he had studied me and knew exactly what I was good at and what I could improve on,” Byram said. “I just liked the way he spoke, the way he spoke about the club and how he did things. That was the feeling I got. He had really done his homework on me with a real attention to detail – the number of games he had watched that I had played in, the areas where I could improve. It made me feel that under him I was going to get better.”
Emenike, a name floating in from the recent past, arrived suddenly with only a few days to go in the window. The Nigerian was highly rated at Spartak Moscow, a direct-minded striker with ferocious pace and a useful ability to play across the front line. He won an African Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles in 2013, but has since fallen off the European radar a little, playing two seasons in Turkey and, most recently, on loan in the UAE.
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West Ham’s depth issues at the striker position have been clear this season, and clearly devastating. When first-choice striker Diafra Sakho went down, so began a run of four matches in which the Hammers scored one solitary goal. Andy Carroll is equally fragile, and Enner Valencia is no iron man himself, and is only barely a striker, despite his recent goal glut. That leaves Nikica Jelavic, soon bound for China, as the one remaining senior striker fit; a state of affairs that cannot be allowed to occur again. Emenike may not be the hitman he was a handful of years ago, but his arrival brings depth that is demonstrably required toot-sweet.
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Who departed?
The only senior departure saw Mauro Zarate move to Fiorentina, for a fee rumoured to be around £1 million. Zarate, a streaky contributor at best, had fallen down the pecking order in attack, with Michail Antonio and Victor Moses both moving ahead of the him. His absence, totally made up for by the signing of Emenike, will not be felt. Additionally, Diego Poyet, Lewis Page, Stephen Hendrie and Elliot Lee all left on loan, to clubs in the English lower leagues.
Who can help the team?
In a squad that has suddenly become one of the deepest in the league, there are still a few areas in need of bolstering. Aaron Cresswell played every game of West Ham’s last league campaign, and has missed only one match of this current season. The left-back is one of West Ham’s most consistent performers, and his presence in the starting XI provides essential width on the left hand side.
His durability, while obviously reliable, should not be expected to persist under all potential circumstances. Serious injury can scythe down any player, and the Hammers have no one of substance to deputise at left-back. Perhaps it would be wise, in the summer, to look to strengthen there, and test Liverpool’s resolve; the Reds have Joe Gomez, Brad Smith and Alberto Moreno on the books, and might be tempted to part with one of these players. All three have been rotated recently, and it’s within the realm of possibility that any of them could be clad in claret and blue next season.
Overall Rating
It has been a highly satisfactory window for the Hammers. Weaknesses were addressed, without fuss or deadline-day drama. The players brought in are at suitable points in their careers, and on suitable contracts, for the roles they are set to fill. Bilic hit a home run in the last transfer period, and will be expecting similarly stellar results this time around.
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