The Hammers winter window reality

By Hughie Southon

Allow me to let you in on a little secret!

It is very little but one  we all need to bear in mind at the moment and is summed up in two words – TRANSFER GOSSIP!

The subject is the lifeblood of many sites which is why already, over two months ahead of the winter window opening, you are reading so much of it on many of them.

The more notable reports – among many – are that we are going back for Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips along along with the need for a striker and left back.

We occasionally repeat these stories by explaining where they came from and giving our own view – often along with a CandH rumour rating.

The reality at West Ham this season, however, is that beyond the striker situation we are more or less ok and, given the money spent in the summer, we will be in the loan market at best.

I can’t remember a decent winter signing beyond Jarrod Bowen or Snoddy in a few years anyway and there certainly won’t be any available at that time of the year.

There rarely are in the summer. That is the reason we are unlikely to see Danny Ings leaving although Callum Marshall may be the coming man!

Maguire is a no no and Phillips not required given the midfield we have available so we are all better off ignoring the headline hungry sites beating up the recycled stuff we have seen of late!