West Ham United no longer look so dead and buried near the foot of the Premier League table.
In recent matches, the Hammers have shown that there's life in their legs, still, as they fight to keep their top-flight status intact, with back-to-back victories against Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland easing the pressure somewhat on Nuno Espirito Santo's shoulders.
Nuno Espirito Santo manager of West Ham United
Unfortunately for the Portuguese boss, his team couldn't make it a stunning three wins from three on their travels to Chelsea on Saturday, as the relegation candidates ultimately succumbed to a crushing 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge, after racing into a spectacular 2-0 advantage.
Now up to 48 goals conceded, which is the leakiest defence in the entire division, it's no great shock to see that the Irons are in the market to improve their squad before the window slams shut at 7pm on Monday.
West Ham make late transfer enquiry
Nuno wouldn't be able to hide his obvious frustrations at the full-time whistle, with a six-point gap still in place between West Ham and his ex-employers, Nottingham Forest, in 17th position.
To shore up more at the back, as games become even tenser, West Ham have reportedly made a bid to sign Real Betis centre-back Natan, with a loan-to-buy deal reportedly in the works.
West Ham United ins and outs January 2026 (deadline day)
Alongside interest in Natan, West Ham are also reportedly looking at Southampton titan Taylor Harwood-Bellis, with a late enquiry also now being lodged for another centre-back plying his trade in the Championship.
Indeed, as per talkSPORT's Alex Crook, Hull City colossus John Egan is attracting a lot of interest ahead of the final nail-biting hours of the January window, with West Ham even acknowledged as lodging an enquiry for the former Sheffield United man to leave Yorkshire behind for London.
John Egan of Hull City following the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Hull City
West Ham could do a lot worse during the last-gasp stages of the window, with Egan potentially going down as Nuno's own Bowen-style signing, as another Championship buy from the MKM Stadium possibly proves to be a golden addition.
How Egan could be Nuno's own Bowen
It's strange to imagine Bowen these days in anything but claret and blue, but the Hereford-born attacker did once call Hull home, before embarking on a fresh adventure up to the Premier League.
Jarrod Bowen goals per season (timeless)
The rest is history as far as Bowen is concerned, with the club icon now up to a mammoth 82 goals and 54 assists for Nuno's men from 264 appearances, ten of which have come about this season, even as the waters have been choppy at the London Stadium.
Nuno's captain is often in the right place at the right time to guide the Hammers away from a sticky situation, with Sky Sports' Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink hailing him as a star who "always does the business" earlier this month.
Of course, he can't singlehandedly guide his beloved side away from the drop, though, particularly if West Ham's defensive frailties persist, with Nuno's men last keeping a clean sheet in Premier League action back in August when humbling Forest 3-0.
Hopefully, this is where the inspired addition of Egan could come to the rescue.
Egan's league numbers for Hull (25/26)
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Clearances*
Total duels won*
Clean sheets
Stats by Sofascore
It would be bold to suggest that the 33-year-old defender will reach the same levels of success as Bowen at West Ham, but he will hope he can be as dependable as the reliable England international in the short-term, to try and lift the porous Hammers up the league, winning a dominant 4.9 duels won per Championship clash this season, sticking out.
Worryingly, Max Kilman has only won 3.3 duels per 90 minutes back at West Ham, with Egan's track record of scoring 24 goals as a centre-back presence plying his trade all across the EFL and Premier League, also making him a worthwhile purchase.
Indeed, it makes him stick out even more for his similar ability to regularly bail his teams out of trouble that Bowen also possesses, which has led to his Hull boss, Sergej Jakirovic, lauding him as a "leader."
Further noted as being an "influential" figure at the back by his Republic of Ireland boss, Stephen Kenny, West Ham could pull off a great late capture by snapping up Egan before the window fizzles out.
Signed from Hull with a track record for performing well at EFL level, this could be another Bowen-esque signing that improves the Hammers ranks.
General view of the London Stadium ahead of the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match West Ham United vs Queens Park Rangers Related
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The Irons are not done in the transfer market.