The January window has certainly been a crucial one for West Ham United, as they try to mount a challenge to maintain their Premier League status come the end of the season.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are currently five points adrift of safety, but it hasn’t stopped them from making a charge for new additions in the transfer market.
Pablo, Valentin Castellanos and Keiber Lamadrid had all completed their respective moves before this week, with the board backing the manager with three new faces.
west-ham-january-window-1
However, he’s also been handed a reunion with winger Adama Traoré at the London Stadium, after previously working with the Spaniard during his time at Wolves.
Despite the recent flurry of additions, the hierarchy are still looking to back the 52-year-old, with numerous players still on their shortlist ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.
West Ham make approach for another new addition
Up until now, all of West Ham’s winter additions have been made in the attacking third, but some focus needs to be directed to the backline, given that the club boast the worst defensive record in the division.
Chelsea defender Axel Disasi is just one player they have been monitoring, with the Frenchman evidently free to leave Stamford Bridge before the window closes.
Disasi-Newcastle-Chelsea-EFL-Cup
It’s been reported in recent days that the Hammers are in advanced talks with the Blues to land the central defender on a loan deal until the end of the campaign.
However, other attacking options are still being considered at present, as seen by the club’s move to land Atalanta star Nicola Zalewski over the last few days.
According to one Italian outfit, Nuno’s side have made an approach to land the attacking midfielder, who has made 18 Serie A appearances so far this season.
The report states that no official offer has yet been made by the Hammers for the 24-year-old, who can also operate as a winger or even in a left-wing-back role.
zalewski-atalanta
However, any deal would likely be another expensive one for the hierarchy, with the article confirming that a very important offer would be needed for any sale to occur.
Why Zalewski would be the perfect Paqueta replacement
Despite the recent influx of additions at the London Stadium, departures have also been on the cards in recent days, with attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta agreeing a move back to Flamengo.
Lucas Paqueta Graphic
The Brazilian has been absent for the last three matches across all competitions, after stating his desire to return to his homeland following three and a half years in East London.
A fee in the region of £37.5m was agreed for his sale earlier this week, with the club needing to identify a replacement for the 28-year-old before the window closes.
New addition Pablo operated in the role behind the centre-forward against Sunderland, but a new attacking midfielder is certainly needed to fill the void left by Paqueta.
The interest in Zalewski’s signature could certainly provide Nuno with the option he’s craving, with the Polish international a player who is capable of producing the goods from a deeper position.
nicola-zalewski-atalanta
His stats from the current campaign in Italy highlight the talent he possesses, with the hierarchy needing to make progress on a deal if he is to move to the Premier League.
Zalewski, who’s been dubbed “fantastic” by international teammate Robert Lewandowski, has created 1.6 chances per 90 this season, with 0.6 of which being defined as big chances.
The aforementioned figures both rank him in the top 15% of all players in Serie A this campaign, which showcases the creative spark he possesses - something which Paqueta so frequently did for the Hammers.
He’s also completed 1.3 crosses per 90, whilst completing 53% of the dribbles he’s attempted - with such numbers demonstrating his all-round talent with the ball at his feet.
Nicola Zalewski - Serie A stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Games played
Goals & assists
Chances created
Big chances created
Crosses completed
Dribbles completed
Ball recoveries made
Duels won
Stats via FotMob
The 24-year-old’s tally of 0.2 assists per 90 also ranks highly compared to other players in Italy’s top-flight, subsequently achieving a better average than more than 90% of players in the division.
Other figures such as 6.2 ball recoveries made per 90 and 7.1 duels won per 90 highlight his tireless work rate - something that Nuno loves in all of his players, given his counter-attacking system.
West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo-2
It’s unclear how much a deal for Zalewski would cost the Hammers this window, but from his stats, it’s evident that he would be an unbelievable coup.
His versatility and talent in numerous positions could make him a key asset for the club in their hopes of surviving in the Premier League come the end of May.
Should he make the move from Atalanta and replicate such figures, there’s no denying that the name of Paqueta will be rapidly forgotten in East London.
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[West Ham now targeting late deal to sign "maverick" Castellanos upgrade](https://www.footballfancast.com/west-ham-now-targeting-late-deal-to-sign-castellanos-upgrade-duran/ "West Ham now targeting late deal to sign "maverick" Castellanos upgrade")
The incredible goalscorer would be a game-changing Castellanos upgrade for West Ham.