West Ham have pulled off one deal so far in the January transfer window, signing midfielder Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season. However, that wasn't all that David Moyes wanted to do at the start of the month.
The Scotsman also wanted to recruit a new striker, with the position described as a "priority" in the latter part of that year, but despite an injury setback for Michail Antonio that will keep the frontman out until the middle of next month, there hasn't been any movement so far.
One potential candidate for the Irons is Armando Broja, a player who's long been admired at the London Stadium. His future was expected to be one of the big stories of the window's final phase, and that's proving to be the case on deadline day.
West Ham make final bid for Broja
According to journalist Dean Jones, West Ham have been offered the chance to sign Broja on loan on Thursday, as have fellow Premier League suitors Fulham and Wolves, with all three teams making a new bid.
In an attached article for SportsLens, he adds that Chelsea had been insistent on a loan deal followed by a £35m obligation to buy, but their stance has now changed at the last minute, and they got in touch with the trio of clubs to ask whether they'd be interested in a straight loan instead.
However, Fulham have now won the race, securing a deal with a £4m loan fee, meaning both Wolves and the Hammers' offers have been rejected.
"Clinical" Broja could have been Lingard 2.0
Broja really made a name for himself during a loan spell at Southampton in the 2021/22 season, when he scored six Premier League goals and earned praise from the competition's all-time top scorer in Alan Shearer. “Let me tell you, this lad is clinical,” he said. “His goal against Brentford made him the youngest player in Premier League history to score in each of his first four home starts."
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While the Albanian has only scored once in the top-flight this season, Shearer's verdict still holds true across his whole career, where he's netted 18 times from an xG of 16.1.
Vitesse (loan)
10
7.0
Southampton (loan)
6
5.9
Chelsea
2
2.4
The last time West Ham signed an attacker on loan from one of the 'big six' in January, it was a resounding success as Manchester United's Jesse Lingard lit up the league. Lingard would score nine goals and set-up five more in 16 appearances, and win the Premier League's Player of the Month award for April too. If West Ham want a new striker now though, we're really getting into the panic stations stage of the window.