David Moyes has pulled off a real statement of intent by luring Kalvin Philipps to West Ham United on a loan deal until the end of the season, and his quality could shine through should he remain fit and healthy.

The Englishman will add some much-needed steel to the centre of their midfield, and it could prove to be an inspired signing as Moyes looks to secure another continental trophy with the club.

While this is a big coup, with just under a week left until deadline day, the Scot will be hoping to bring in at least another player or two, especially as he needs to bolster his attacking options.

West Ham’s search for new signings

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the Irons are currently showing interest in former Celtic sensation Jota as they look to improve their squad ahead of the second half of the season.

He said: “Former Celtic winger Jota is still hoping for a move to the Premier League this month.

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“West Ham have spoken about a possible deal, whilst Brighton, Everton and Newcastle have been linked. Spurs remain admirers too.”

He moved to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ittihad last summer for a fee of around £25m following an impressive spell in Scotland, yet his move to the Middle East has not played out as well as anticipated.

Could the Portuguese gem perhaps return to British shores in the coming days? There is no doubt he has the potential to shine in the Premier League, and with West Ham needing some freshness injected into the final third, he could be an ideal signing.

Moyes may need to move a player or two out the door, however, with winger Said Benrahma attracting interest from French side Marseille.

Indeed, the Hammers even rejected a loan bid from the Ligue 1 outfit last week for the Algerian, but a move for Jota could indicate that his time in London is approaching an end.

Said Benrahma could leave West Ham United

The winger is certainly a polarising figure. At times, he can be devastating and cause utter chaos to opposition defences, yet more often than not, he fails to leave his mark in matches and Moyes could do with an upgrade on the player going forward.

Since joining West Ham from Brentford at the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign, the 28-year-old has scored 24 goals and registered 19 assists across 155 matches, a ratio of a goal contribution every 3.6 games, which is a solid, if unspectacular, return.

6

0

3

1

2.1

1.5

1.4

0.8

1.5

1.1

This season, however, the winger has grabbed only one assist in 22 matches and his performances have been underwhelming, to say the least.

Among the squad, Benrahma currently ranks 14th for goals and assists (one) in the Premier League, while also ranking sixth for shots on target per game (0.5) and 17th for overall Sofascore rating (6.73), indicating that this term has hardly been a productive one.

The former Brentford winger still has two and a half years left on his current contract and this could tempt Moyes into moving him on this month, especially as he could command a decent fee.

It is clear he is not having the same impact this term compared to previous seasons. Moyes has started him just 13 times in all competitions, which proves he does not place his trust in the 28-year-old that often.

Jota could be a big upgrade to the current West Ham player, and it would be interesting to see if he could pick up where he left off after starring at Celtic.

The stats that show why Jota could be an upgrade to Said Benrahma

Admittedly, the 5 foot 9 winger has not had a good season for Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League since making his big-money move there last summer.

This was surprising, especially due to how impressive he had been for Celtic during their treble-winning 2022/23 campaign and his performances were always going to catch the eye of potential suitors.

Last term, Jota not only ranked first among the squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.45) in the Premiership, but he also ranked second for goals and assists (22), shots per game (2.4), big chances created (13), and key passes per game (1.9), demonstrating how much of an influence he had in the team.

In comparison, Benrahma ranked eighth for Sofascore rating (6.86) among the West Ham squad, along with ranking third for goals and assists (nine), first for shots per game (2.1), second for big chances created (five) and for key passes per game (1.4), suggesting that he also had a decent season for the Hammers, yet Jota’s numbers across these key metrics are better.

Jota was even lauded by former Glasgow Rangers manager Alex McLeish, who dubbed him as a “revelation” under Ange Postecoglou as they swept to five of the six domestic honours in his two seasons under the current Tottenham Hotspur manager.

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As mentioned, the 24-year-old has struggled in Asia this season, making just 11 appearances and scoring only two goals, as clubs are limited to naming just eight foreign players in their domestic squads.

This has clearly limited his appearances, and it looks as though it is time for a fresh start and a return to Britain could bring out the best in him.

Benrahma has shown this term that he simply cannot be trusted to add goals or assists to this West Ham team on a regular basis and if he isn’t moved on this month, he will surely depart London in the summer.

This could give Moyes the licence to ditch the Algerian by making a concrete move for Jota as he looks to add some more depth to his attacking options.

There is no doubt the former Celtic star will be fresh having played so few matches, and this could be a huge bonus for West Ham, especially as they chase another continental title.

Jota has won five major titles during his previous two full seasons, and he certainly knows how to win trophies, which the Hammers will be hoping he showcases in the Europa League later this year if they win the race for his signature.