West Ham co-owner David Sullivan was today attempting to relieve the pressure on his ailing team by signing at least two players before Friday’s transfer deadline.
The club, who have been heavily criticised for their recruitment strategy, spent almost £80million last summer in an effort to move to the next level but now find themselves in a relegation fight and — after their 1-0 home defeat by West Brom — also out of the FA Cup.
Sullivan may have favoured a quiet January following his summer spending but must now be active in the transfer market if he is to deflect some of the growing discontent among fans.
Top of manager David Moyes’s priority list is a full-back and a midfielder to ease the burden on both veteran Pablo Zabaleta and captain Mark Noble, who admitted he had been looking forward to an afternoon off against West Brom but was brought on as one of three half-time substitutes by Moyes.
West Ham have enquired about Nottingham Forest’s 22-year-old full-back Matty Cash, but Moyes has denied the club have had a £12m offer rejected.
The club have also been linked with a move for 24-year-old Slavia Prague midfielder Tomas Soucek, who has 23 caps for the Czech Republic.
