Alan Curbishley is expected to be the busiest manager in January 2007 as he attempts to mount a rescue operation of Redknapp proportions. Funded by Magnusson (who had planned to jettison Mascherano along with Pardew before he bought West Ham), Curbishley is busy ringing up managers and hammering out deals with players.
Luis Boa Morte is Curbishley’s first signing, a 5 mil capture from Fulham for 3.5 years. Poaching Fulham’s captain is just the first of a series of transfers AC has planned for West Ham though – here’s a list of players West Ham are reportedly after:
Mathew Upson
Lucas Neill
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Mark Viduka
John Hartson
Ashley Young
Tal Ben Haim
Sylvain Distin
Joey Barton
Upson and Neill have a host of clubs chasing them, including Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle. I don’t realistically see West Ham getting either player, although they could be able to bag 1-2 defenders on loan if they are smart about it.
SWP is reportedly a done deal, but with Boa Morte already signed up, why go for another winger? The 10 mil rumoured for SWP could surely be better used elsewhere.
Tal Ben Haim is probably going to stay at Bolton, or go to a bigger club than West Ham. Distin is unlikely to stay at Man City, and could be a surprise move to Upton Park (if Glenn Roeder doesn’t get to him first. There’s little chance that Joey Barton will come to West Ham, although it would improve the team quite a bit.
Where strikers are concerned, John Hartson is not a smart choice, nor is Viduka. Charlton are unwilling to sell Bent to a club who’s just above them in the relegation stakes, and Watford are unwilling to let go of Ashley Young as well. That makes West Ham’s job a lot harder, considering that they’ve just scored 12 goals this season.
With Dean Ashton out of action till March, West Ham need a forward (or two). Alan Smith? Anthoney Stokes?
Peter Crouch? 🙂
My money’s on Darren Bent and Distin. What about you?
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