Even Ferguson is risk-free signing but West Ham need him to hit ground running

The closing of the transportation window, a small implicit an hr aft full-time successful West Ham’s 2-1 decision astatine Chelsea connected Monday night, volition person travel arsenic a alleviation to Graham Potter.

Twenty-seven days aft taking over, helium is yet escaped of the request to juggle dual priorities, to wonderment what his squad volition look similar by the extremity of deadline day.

Potter tin present genuinely acceptable to enactment with a wide mind, knowing wherever helium stands, arsenic helium seeks to get West Ham going successful the 2nd fractional of a play that is present fundamentally a escaped hit, with determination being thing meaningful near for them to play for.

The 49-year-old volition beryllium pleased to person the January model down him, but besides to person strengthened his attack.

Evan Ferguson’s accomplishment connected a consecutive indebtedness from Brighton reunites him with Potter, nether whom helium became 1 of English football’s champion teenage talents a fewer years ago. His crippled clip past fell distant nether Roberto De Zerbi - and fell disconnected a cliff nether Fabian Hurzeler.

It is simply a risk-free signing, with Ferguson hopeless for Premier League minutes and definite to get them astatine a nine truthful lacking a prolific striker (and close present lacking immoderate acceptable and disposable strikers astatine all, Danny Ings aside).

Ferguson, 20, could good pb the enactment for a mates of months, with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus flanking him connected either side, and it could beryllium adjacent longer if helium hits the crushed moving and convinces Potter to support Niclas Fullkrug connected the seat erstwhile the large German returns from a hamstring injury.

It was nary concealed West Ham wanted a striker successful January, and that saw them enquire astir - but yet neglect to motion - a full big of names.

Jhon Duran, Andre Silva, Brian Brobbey, Ricardo Pepi and Eli Junior Kroupi were each targets. In the end, though, West Ham won the hotly-contested contention for their apical people by securing Ferguson.

West Ham’s January concern was completed with the deadline-day instrumentality of James Ward-Prowse from his indebtedness astatine high-flying Nottingham Forest, who bash not request him anyplace adjacent arsenic overmuch arsenic Potter.

Ex-manager Julen Lopetegui’s presumption that Ward-Prowse would champion service West Ham by being elsewhere ever felt a misguided call. His free-kick and country deliveries were cardinal successful David Moyes’s last play and those crisp crosses person present been restored to the Hammers’ armoury.

And parking Ward-Prowse’s acceptable pieces, his all-round crippled efficaciously gives Potter a 2nd Tomas Soucek, susceptible of playing successful a treble pivot or, erstwhile abbreviated of attackers, successful the No10 presumption instead.

“It’s ever a spot meandering successful the window,” Potter said, “But it [getting Ward-Prowse back] was thing we were alert of.”

Potter volition greatly worth the added extent Ferguson and Ward-Prowse provide, but the aforesaid cannot beryllium said successful defence.

Kyle Macaulay, Potter’s trusted transportation guru who helium prised distant from Chelsea, was moving the numbers and pursuing the options arsenic the nine attempted to motion different centre-back earlier the adjacent of the window. The information 1 ne'er arrived marks the sore spot of the West Ham’s January business.

Jean-Clair Todibo has had a torrid wounded grounds since joining, portion Konstantinos Mavropanos has struggled, hence lone appearing from the seat astatine Stamford Bridge connected Monday.

His possibilities frankincense truthful limited, Potter had to deploy 35-year-old left-back Aaron Cresswell and 32-year-old right-back Vladimir Coufal successful his backmost three.

That is not sustainable, with much than 3 months of the play inactive to play, placing unit connected Todibo to find fittingness and Mavropanos form.

All the much request for Ward-Prowse and, particularly, Ferguson to deed the crushed running.