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Who could bolster bottom six?
- Updated: November 25, 2016
With the January transfer window on the horizon, who could the bottom six sides in the Premier League sign to boost their survival chances?
Swansea, Hull and Sunderland currently occupy the relegation places, but Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and West Ham are all hovering just above the drop zone.
Here are the players that Football Whispers believe the bottom six teams could move for in January.
West Ham – Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
West Ham made several attempts to sign a top-class striker over the summer, reportedly seeing bids rejected for Alexandre Lacazette, Michy Batshuayi and Carlos Bacca.
They ended up securing Simone Zaza from Juventus on a season-long loan with the option to buy, but the Italy international has flattered to deceive thus far, failing to net a single goal in 558 minutes of action.
So Slaven Bilic is still in need of a goal scorer, and the Express believe the Hammers could be set to move for Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge.
Sturridge is no longer a guaranteed starter at Anfield, with manager Jurgen Klopp often preferring to line-up with Roberto Firmino as his central striker.
But despite slipping down the pecking order on Merseyside, Sturridge’s quality cannot be disputed. With a 72.7 percent pass completion rate and 52.2 percent shot accuracy, the former Chelsea forward has proven his worth even without goals.
Multiple reports suggest West Ham will test the waters with a £25m bid in January.
Sunderland – Peter Crouch (Stoke)
David Moyes’ Sunderland have managed to recover from a disastrous start to the season by winning their last two games.
Although Victor Anichebe has netted three goals in his last two, the Black Cats have largely been reliant on former England striker Jermain Defoe to shoulder the goal-scoring burden.
The 34-year-old has scored seven of their 12 league goals so far this season, after playing a major role in ensuring the club’s survival with 15 goals last term.
To help ease the pressure on Defoe, The Sun reported recently that Moyes has identified Peter Crouch as a potential January target.
Crouch, now 35, has been starved of game time at Stoke this season, featuring in just 241 minutes of play. But the veteran England forward has bagged three goals in the EFL Cup and has won a remarkable 75.7 percent of his aerial duels.
Having previously played together at Tottenham, Moyes …
