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West Ham reviving interest in this 29-year-old Welsh dynamo would be a shrewd move to bolster midfield unit

West Ham Opinion: Why the Hammers should make a move for Joe Allen?

Back in April, the Wales Online claimed West Ham were interested in signing Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen in the summer transfer window.

The Welsh midfielder, 29, has been with the club since 2016, and was part of the side who were relegated to the Championship last year. Stoke were hoping to return to the Premier League this season, but endured a difficult time in the Championship and finished 16th in the table.

It may be difficult to keep Joe Allen at the club, as the 29-year-old might fancy a return to the Premier League after a year in the second-tier of English football. With that in mind, West Ham should reignite their interest in the midfield and attempt to sign him this summer.

Manuel Pellegrini is in the transfer market for a centre-forward and a central midfielder, having strengthened the goalkeeping and attacking department. West Ham had a crisis in midfield last season, with the likes of Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez spending majority of 2018/19 on the treatment table. Youngster Declan Rice was Pellegrini’s main man in the middle of the park and was partnered by skipper Mark Noble.

But the Chilean manager does require more mobility and energy in that area as he cannot rely upon the likes of Wilshere and Sanchez to stay fit for an entire season. With Noble ageing and isn’t the quickest of players, the addition of Joe Allen would make sense for West Ham.

Allen is predominantly a central midfielder but he is capable of operating in the no.10 role and influence games in the final third. But with the likes of Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals already present, the Welshman would be used in the middle of the park if he joins the Hammers. In terms of his attributes, the 29-year-old has the ability to recover the ball, be strong in the tackle and dictate the tempo of play.

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The ex-Swansea City and Liverpool man is a tireless worker of the ball and never afraid to go toe-to-toe with physically dominant players, despite standing at just 5ft 6in tall. Due to his vision, composure in possession, efficient passing and tenacious tackling, Allen could be the right player to partner Rice in central midfield next season.

Verdict

The Welsh international would be an upgrade over the ageing Noble and given that he has solid Premier League experience, West Ham would do a smart job by signing Allen from Stoke this summer.