West Ham have struggled for form in the Premier League this season despite Manuel Pellegrini’s vast spending spree and further deals are on the cards in January.
The Hammers are in need of a clinical striker to lead the line as well as better options in the heart of midfield – with one area where Pellegrini’s ranks being in the wide positions.
Andriy Yarmolenko, Felipe Anderson and Lucas Perez all arrived in the summer to provide further depth to a position that already boasted Marko Arnautovic, Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio, although the former has regularly been utilised as a striker.
With a new forward on the agenda, Arnautovic is likely to drop back into a three-man attacking midfield alongside Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson, with Antonio and Snodgrass presenting useful back-up to that trio.
Therefore, links from Italian journalist Nicolo Schira stating that West Ham are interested in signing Italy international Stephan El Shaarawy when the window reopens in January do not add up, as the 26-year-old would face a fight getting into the side.
On top of this, the 23-cap winger is also happy with current employers Roma and persuading the Serie A side into a sale would likely prove to be expensive – and Pellegrini needs the money to spend in other areas of the field.
