LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 22: Winston Reid (2nd right) of West Ham United celebrates his winning goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Sunderland at London Stadium on October 22, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images)
West Ham currently sit in 17th in the Premier League and desperately need to turn their season around quickly. The January transfer window is the perfect place to start.
The Hammers have continued to struggle in the Premier League this season. They can not seem to find their form, and have tried many different formations and player combinations. They are just one place off of relegation and are injury ridden in all types of positions. Their star player is in constant talks of leaving and players are constantly playing out of position.
Bringing in a new face or two to the club could be just what the London club needs. Looking forward to the January transfer window, these five players would be very helpful in the clubs fight from the bottom of the table.
Ryad Boudebouz</a> from Montpellier could be just the answer.</p>
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<p>He is a skilful player that can play in a central attacking role as well as out wide. His ability to create chances would be very helpful for a West Ham team that is struggling to find the back of the net. He has very quick feet and seems to have the quickness and overall ability to keep up with the pace of the Premier League.</p>
<p>Boudebouz is the top scorer at Montpellier and has created a plethora of chances for the French side. His team is struggling in the league, so a move to a Premier League team would not be out of the question.</p>
<p>West Ham would greatly benefit from his style of play as well as his attack minded attitude.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2016/11/08/5-players-west-ham-should-buy-in-january/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> An inform French striker </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>2. Alassane Pléa</h2>
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<p>West Ham has struggled with injury problems all season. Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho, both strikers, are currently injured and it shows itself in game. The team has tried Michail Antonio, Simone Zaza, and even Payet as a starting striker, but nothing seems to have worked well.</p>
<p>French striker <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2016/11/08/5-players-west-ham-should-buy-in-january/"https://www.whoscored.com/Players/108585/">Alassane Pléa</a> from OGC Nice could be the answer to their striking problems. Often playing off of Balotelli, Pléa is making a huge impact for his club. He is the third leading goalscorer in the French league with seven goals, also leading his team in the same category. His crossing ability is strong for a forward, which is always a plus for any attacking player.</p>
<p>Pléa has played a few different attacking positions this season. He has been effective as both a left and right winger, but can also play lone striker up top. His versatility will make him even more of an asset for West Ham, and he would instantly make an impact in the team.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2016/11/08/5-players-west-ham-should-buy-in-january/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A promising young defender </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>3. Elseid Hysaj</h2>
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<p>West Ham has also had their problems at defense, particularly with their fullbacks. Their captain Winston Reid recently went down injured, and both Sam Byram and Arthur Masuaku, who are fullbacks, are injured as well. This has forced them into using a three at the back system, which has had mixed results in recent matches.</p>
<p>A fix to this problem would be signing a solid fullback like <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2016/11/08/5-players-west-ham-should-buy-in-january/"https://www.whoscored.com/Players/108345/Show/Elseid-Hysaj">Elseid Hysaj</a>. The Napoli defender from Albania is just 22 years old and has heaps of potential. He has already proven that he can defend and read the game well, and often gets into good attacking positions going forward. His speed and strength combined with his great passing would make him an instant hit in the Premier League.</p>
<p>Although he is young, Hysaj would be perfect for West Ham. He would restore their back four, allowing players like Aaron Cresswell to move back to his normal position of left fullback. He may need a few games to adjust, but it would not take long for Hysaj to become a regular in the West Ham lineup.</p>
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</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>4. Martin Braithwaite</h2>
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<p>Another Ligue 1 striker that West Ham could pursue is Danish attacker Martin Braithwaite. The forward has been a potent scoring threat this season, netting seven goals in just nine matches. He is a solid header of the ball and can finish very well inside the box.</p>
<p>West Ham is short on attackers, so signing Braithwaite would be beneficial in terms of depth for the team. Players like Manuel Lanzini would enjoy having an out-and-out striker in the team to look for in the box. Simone Zaza has not proven himself as a striker for the club, so bringing in a fresh face could be just the lift the team needs.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>At the age of 25, Braithwaite has both the time and ability to become a very good striker in the Premier League. He would be a great addition to the club and would have an instant impact on its overall set up. In general, it would be wise for West Ham to bring in at least one attacking threat come January.</p>
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</div><!—pageview_candidate—></p><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>5. Maxime Gonalons</h2>
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<p>With both defenders and attackers on the target list for West Ham, a holding midfielder seems like the perfect third option for the club. A player that can hold down the space just in front of the back 4 and intercept passes to start a counter attack. Maxime Gonalons would be the perfect fit for this role.</p>
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<p>Gonalons is one of the rare holding midfielders in the game today that is solely focused on defending. He makes tackles, intercepts passes and challenges for headers on every play he can. He is one of those players that seems to be everywhere at once, and will more often than not be in the right place at the right time for his team.</p>
<p>Gonalons is a rock in the midfield and would be able to disrupt the quick tempo that most Premier League teams like to play.</p>
<p>A holding midfielder would be a great addition to West Ham, as it would give players like Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna an extra layer of security in the midfield. Gonalons would partner well with Pedro Obiang or Cheikhou Kouyaté, with a 4-2-3-1 system being the prefered formation in that case. Hopefully the Hammers can sure up their defense in an effort to reduce the amount of goals they allow.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">