No excuses: the January priority is crystal clear

By Dave Langton

The January transfer window has to see West Ham invest in a proper right-back.

There are no ifs, buts and maybes about it; David Moyes needs to get a handle on the position, and bring in someone he truly trusts to play the role.

We know Harrison Ashby is likely to leave in January, with Newcastle sniffing around after seeing a bid knocked back in the summer, while there are rumblings that Moyes doesn’t fancy Vlad Coufal quite as much as he used to.

Ben Johnson is another option but he has never probed the complete answer.

As a result, the mission in the winter window is to bring in a player who is going to slot straight into the team at right full-back and actually perform.

We’ve seen Thilo Kehrer tested there and the results have been appalling at worst and bang average at best; he, too, looks like more of a centre-back.

Moyes has repeatedly espoused the virtues of patience but when it comes to the backline, we can’t afford to wait.

West Ham need to get a proper, first-class right-back in January. No excuses.