West Ham spent £120 million on seven new players last summer, yet five months later they are in need of reinforcements.
Injuries, age, a gambling investigation and a car accident have already held the team back this season, to the point that it is a bit of a surprise to see them flying as high as 13th – a point and a place above Manchester United, and level with Tottenham.
Of this season's signings, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, bought for £15m, has probably performed the best, while Max Kilman has impressed but also has a £40m price tag to meet.
But perhaps all transfer transactions with manager Julen Lopetegui should be put on hold under so much pressure, as any new head coach would probably want to have his say.
So what can West Ham fans expect in January? Here, as part of our transfer briefing series looking at Premier League clubs ahead of the transfer window, our West Ham expert James Sharpe answers the top five questions at the London Stadium.
What does West Ham need?
What don't they need?! Their first-choice keeper Lukasz Fabianski is almost 40, they have a playmaker in Lucas Paqueta who could face a significant ban for match-fixing within a few months, three of their four wing-backs are in their 30s and their main striker is still in hospital after a car accident that will likely rule him out for a year and could end his career.
West Ham would like another central midfielder, a pair of full-backs and a winger, but their priority is a top striker. Not just because of Michail Antonio's horror crash, but because Niclas Fullkrug is still setting the world on fire in the £27 million summer and is suffering from injuries and Danny Ings is past his best years, but, as someone close to West Ham's transfer deals told Mail Sport, top strikers 'are not easy to find'.
Do they have money to spend?
No, not unless they sell. Following the big spend in the summer, sources have told Mail Sport that the club will have to sell players before they buy to ensure they remain in line with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
So that puts the club in a much weaker position, knowing that they will have to generate interest in their own players to sign someone.
For this reason, it is expected that January will be a relatively quiet transfer window for Lopetegui and West Ham.
Which players are they interested in?
Hammers technical director Tim Steidten will take the lead when it comes to potential signings. The club have previously looked at Freiburg keeper Noah Atubolu as they look for a long-term replacement for Fabianski.
They have also considered Brazilian striker Yuri Alberto, while Middlesbrough frontman Emmanuel Latte Lath, who has scored nine goals in the Championship this season, has also been linked.
Brighton striker Evan Ferguson is also rumored to be a possible loan target, although the Irish striker turned down a golden opportunity at the London Stadium in front of co-owner David Sullivan last Saturday.
One of their main interests is making Carlos Soler's move permanent. He is currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and the club has an option to sign him for €25 million this summer. Talks are expected to begin, but Soler is currently commanding huge wages at PSG that West Ham simply cannot afford.
Who can leave?
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been linked with a move for Hammers winger Mohammed Kudus, although the club are expected to only accept eye-watering fees approaching £100million for him, with an £85million release clause active will be in the Premier League. summer, so it is much more likely that he will remain at the club for the rest of the season.
There were reports that centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo wanted to leave after Mail Sport revealed his layoff with Lopetegui during the defeat to Arsenal, but the defender, who signed on loan with an obligation to buy in the summer as the Hammers look to avoid relegation, left recently took to Instagram to respond to a fan's question about his future, saying: 'I'm not leaving the big man, West Ham are huge! Don't believe the media.'
Paqueta added fuel to the fire of recent speculation about a return to his hometown club Flamengo with a cryptic tweet containing lyrics from a Brazilian gospel song titled 'Come Get Me' which translated as 'I'm not from here, I'm coming back home . he will come for me and I will go with him'. Yet he celebrated his goal against Bournemouth by kissing the West Ham badge and running to hug Lopetegui. It is unlikely that anything will happen to his future until his match-fixing investigation is completed.
The most likely players to leave are central defender Luizao, who could return to Brazil, and Argentinian midfielder Guido Rodriguez, who signed on a free transfer from Real Betis this summer and started many of the early season games, but has since fallen. the pecking order and was able to free up some money.
What unexpected moves should fans keep an eye on?
West Ham have made a habit of loaning out-of-favour big names from big clubs this past January. Think of Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips and Manchester United's Jesse Lingard.
Can we think of anyone else who would fit that bill in recent weeks… oh yeah, Marcus Rashford perhaps? West Ham want a winger…
His current wages would be far too high for the Hammers, so it is more likely that the club could make a loan move for someone like Chelsea's Carney Chukwuemeka, who can play in central midfield or on the wing and could be relied on by Enzo Maresca that he can do that. find a club in January.
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