West Ham signing this out of favour Man United veteran would solve the club’s right-back woes

Why West Ham should sign Antonio Valencia in the January window

West Ham have done well to recover their season after a dreadful start under Manuel Pellegrini. The Hammers lost their first four league games of the campaign and it was all downhill for them until then.

However, the London-based club have upped their game to win three and draw three in the following eight games, meaning they are now four points clear of the drop zone.

The new signings, especially Felipe Anderson, are settling in well, while Lukasz Fabianski has been superb since gameweek one. The new centre-back pairing of Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena is slowly but surely proving to be a real deal for the Hammers.

But they are facing problems in the full-back positions. Neither Arthur Masuaku nor Aaron Cresswell is doing enough to grab the left-back spot, while Pablo Zabaleta has been left alone to guard the right-back position.

New boy Ryan Fredericks, who was anyway struggling to get playing time, has now picked up an injury that will keep him out of action until the end of 2018, maybe beyond that as well. (BBC)

Giving extensive workload to Zabaleta, who is now 33 years old, might not be the best idea. Hence, it is imperative from West Ham’s viewpoint to sign a right-back in the January window, partly to share the workload and in some measure, to enhance the quality of the squad.

Why Antonio Valencia?

Manchester United and Ecuador right-back Antonio Valencia is a fantastic option for the Hammers to contemplate on. The 33-year-old’s contract at Old Trafford is due to run out at the end of this season, meaning he can be a free agent next summer or can move on a cut-price deal in the winter window.

Valencia hasn’t regularly featured for the Red Devils, partly due to the fact that he has had injury problems.

Antonio ValenciaAs the season passes by, it is becoming clear that the Ecuadorian might not extend his deal at Manchester. Hence, this is the right time for West Ham to pounce on this situation and sign the player for a low fee in the January transfer window.

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It will be a deal worth celebrating for all parties, as the Hammers would get a quality right-back and Manchester United would get some money for a player they would anyway lose for free at the end of the season.