West Ham deal for Steven Bergwijn now 'one to watch' in January | OneFootball

Highlights

West Ham United target Steven Bergwijn is 'one of the main names' on Hammers boss David Moyes' January shortlist, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT who the London Stadium outfit could sell in order to land the Ajax star.

The Eredivisie champions are under threat of being raided by the capital club for the third time in a matter of months, having already allowed Edson Alvarez to make a £35.4million switch in August and sanctioned Mohammed Kudus' £38million move a matter of weeks later.

Moyes, who has led West Ham into the Premier League's top six and the Europa League knockout stage despite being forced to contend with the loss of Declan Rice in a £105million transfer to Arsenal during the summer, has set his sights on drafting in reinforcements ahead of the winter window's February 1 deadline.

Hammers mulling over deal for Bergwijn

West Ham are weighing up whether to head to the negotiating table for Bergwijn, according to The Sun, after holding preliminary talks with the Ajax captain's representatives ahead of potentially offering a route back into the Premier League.

The report suggests the Netherlands international, who has found the back of the net eight times and registered a further three assists in 20 outings this season, is desperate to have another chance to make his mark in the English top flight after struggling to rediscover his best form while on Tottenham Hotspur's books.

Bergwijn returned to his homeland when Ajax agreed a £26.4million deal with Spurs 18 months ago, having found himself on the substitutes bench regularly in north London, but he is firmly in West Ham's sights as they look to build on ending their trophy drought by winning the Europa Conference League last term.

It is understood that the Dutch giants are keen to ward off interest from the Hammers and would only entertain sanctioning their talisman's departure from the Johan Cruyff Arena if a bid in the region of £15million is tabled in the coming weeks.

Although Ajax are in a strong negotiating position thanks to Bergwijn's contract - which allows him to pocket more than £76,000-per-week - still having three-and-a-half years to run, the clubs will have built a fruitful relationship following the deals for Alvarez and Kudus.

West Ham are exploring a deal for Bergwijn after Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen were forced off with injuries during their 1-1 draw with Bristol City in the FA Cup third round last weekend, leaving Moyes with limited options in the attacking areas.

The east Londoners are also unable to call upon Kudus for their upcoming fixtures after he has linked up with Ghana for the Africa Cup of Nations, while Michail Antonio has suffered an injury setback which will see him remain on the sidelines for the rest of the month, increasing the importance of acquiring fresh faces.

Fabrizio Romano - Bergwijn among names at top of Moyes' shopping list

Romano understands that Bergwijn has been pinpointed as a key target by West Ham, with him being admired behind the scenes, but they will need to sanction departures in order to have the funds to meet Ajax's demands this month.

The Italian journalist believes the out-of-favour Said Benrahma is among those that will need to embark on a fresh challenge ahead of the transfer window slamming shut if the Hammers want to swoop in for the 26-year-old winger.

When asked about West Ham's links to Bergwijn, Romano told GIVEMESPORT:

Benrahma coveted amid lack of game time

Benrahma could seal his West Ham exit during the closing stages of the winter window, according to Football Insider, as suitors have shown no signs of wanting to meet the Hammers' demands and he is needed as cover for Kudus during his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The report suggests that Lyon, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham are interested in striking a loan deal which includes an option or obligation to buy the winger, who has been limited to just five Premier League starts this season after falling down the pecking order, but Moyes would prefer to cash in.

Benrahma has also worked his way onto the radar of big-spending clubs in Saudi Arabia, which led to his representatives heading to London to hold a face-to-face meeting with Moyes over his future prospects at West Ham.

Transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Algeria international 'is not going to cut it' with the Hammers after failing to take advantage of numerous opportunities to make himself one of the first names on the team sheet.

at the London Stadium.