Transfer Rumours

Throughout his career, Sam Allardyce is known for signing ageing players and turning their careers around, to help them play with the form that they showed at their peak (Jay Jay Okocha,  Ivan Campo, Gary Speed, Fernando Hierro etc.). Well it looks like he may want to do exactly the same with French striker Nicolas Anelka. The veteran attacker, who has played for Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Bolton (under Allardyce) in his successful career, is currently very unsettled at Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua despite being paid £250,000 per week. Maybe Big Sam will hope that his previous relationship with Anelka will smooth a deal for the striker in January, despite him obviously having to take a very large wage's cut.

Allardyce may also be giving a lifeline to Liverpool-flop Joe Cole by returning to his boyhood club of which he was captain for a short time. Reds Manager Brendan Rodgers has lost complete faith of the 30 year-old midfielder after publicly criticizing his performance against Swansea in the League Cup. Despite Cole enjoying a season long loan spell at Lille last year, making 42 appearances in all competitions and helping Rudi Garcia’s side to secure a Champions League place, he has failed to deliver for Liverpool, playing only 32 minutes of Premier League football so far this season. A loan deal would probably be the most likely option for Cole in January.

Allardyce has also presented ex-Hammer Rio Ferdinand with the chance to return to his old club after the Manchester United defender announced that he was unsure whether he wanted to renew his contract which expires at the end of the year or retire from professional football. A third option of a return to Upton Park, either as a free agent in the summer or a transfer in January, may be a big possibilty for the 34 year-old. 

In my opinion, I have no doubt that Allardyce could bring any of these talented men to East London and provide them with a renaissance of their previous best in the twilight of their careers. However I do have one pretty large concern. Wages! I strongly doubt West Ham could pay for any of these players wages and I really can't see Anelka taking a huge cut to the deal he currently has in China or Ferdinand, who could play for United and recieve the same amount of money and still most likely play most weeks, to come play for us. Joe Cole may be a possibility, but I sure as hell don't want to see any of our current midfielders like Noble, Nolan, Diame or Jarvis making way for a veteran Hammer who may or may not perform well.

In January, I would most like to see Allardyce concentrating on giving Yossi Benayoun a permanent contract at the club, possibly Andy Carroll too if that is possible. After that I would like to see him bring in another defender and striker. We only narrowly avoided a major defensive crisis against Newcastle, as it was unclear until the very last minute if Tomkins, Demel or Collins would be able to play. If neither of them had been available, we would have had to make do with an inexperienced youth team member such as Jordan Spence or Dan Potts, or play with only three at the back, which I know isn't an option for Big Sam. Also, it would be nice to have another reserve striker waiting in the wings just in case Andy Carroll gets injured or returns to Liverpool. For me, a move for the young Dutch striker Luc Caistagnos or maybe even Irish full-back Seamus Coleman from Everton could be positive signings for us in January to help us progress and try and solidify a top 10 finish.