Ben Johnson 'available' for West Ham transfer ahead of January window | OneFootball

West Ham United defender Ben Johnson could be heading through the exit door in the January transfer window, and journalist Dean Jones has discussed his future with GIVEMESPORT, while also naming another player who might be on his way out.

Despite being labelled as an exciting talent when he broke through the West Ham academy, he's struggled to make an impact at the London Stadium. The Hammers attempted to tie him down to a new deal, but Johnson is yet to commit and could be departing in the near future.

Johnson provides cover for David Moyes on both sides of defence, so he's certainly a useful squad option to have. However, he's found game time limited over the last few years, so it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if he pushed for a departure when the January transfer window opens for business, especially if an interested club is willing to offer him minutes.

Ben Johnson is attracting interest

Johnson's £20k-a-week contract is set to expire at the end of the season, so West Ham could be forced to cash in when the window opens or risk him leaving on a free transfer. The 23-year-old was offered a six-year deal by the Hammers back in 2022, but the two parties failed to reach an agreement.

During the summer transfer window, Football Insider claimed that Championship club Southampton made contact with the Premier League side regarding the availability of the defender, hoping to bring him to St Mary's Stadium. A move failed to materialise, but journalist Darren Witcoop has now suggested that the Saints remain keen on Johnson as we head towards the latest transfer window.

According to talkSPORT, the Hammers are interested in signing Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters, so it will be interesting to see if all parties involved can come to an agreement which sees Walker-Peters and Johnson switch clubs. Undoubtedly, Russell Martin won't want to see Walker-Peters depart, but the reality is, when you're playing in England's second tier, some of your players will be hoping to return to the Premier League, and bringing in Johnson could be a smart option to replace him.

Dean Jones update

Jones has suggested that Johnson is a player who will be available for transfer when the January window opens, and if the price and move is right, West Ham would be open to allowing him to depart. The journalist adds that Danny Ings is also someone who is likely to attract some interest, especially from the Football League, and there's a good chance he could end up leaving too. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said...

David Moyes is after reinforcements

If the Hammers want to go to the next level and start pushing up the Premier League table, Moyes will have to scour the market for potential reinforcements. There has been plenty of talk of West Ham needing another striker, with Ings struggling for form and Michail Antonio suffering from injuries, so bringing in a new centre-forward could be a priority for the capital club.

Jones previously told GIVEMESPORT that RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner is a player that Moyes and his recruitment team are monitoring ahead of a move in the winter transfer window. The German international didn't have the best of times in England when with Chelsea and he's also struggling for game time in the Bundesliga, but Moyes could be the manager to reignite his form.

Another option for the Hammers could be Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke, with Football Insider claiming he's a player of interest to Moyes. However, the Cherries could be reluctant to allow him to depart in the middle of the season, considering his importance to the side.