Summary West Ham United is gaining momentum in the transfer window, securing loan deals for Kalvin Phillips and targeting further arrivals. Florian Neuhaus is a potential target for West Ham, as he offers skills in midfield and could fill the void left by injured players. Neuhaus has been compared to Frenkie de Jong and could bring similar qualities to West Ham's midfield, enhancing their attacking options.
The January transfer window has been discernibly slow across the park but West Ham United are picking up steam as David Moyes looks to combat a poor start to 2024.
Earlier this week, an exciting loan deal (with an option to buy) was struck with last season's treble-winning Manchester City for centre-midfielder Kalvin Phillips, while chatter has risen since regarding deals for wingers such as FC Nordsjaelland winger Ibrahim Osman and Portuguese ace Jota, seeking an exit from Al-Ittihad.
Phillips will instil composure in the midfield and can take control of matches through his tenacity and technical acumen, but Moyes appears to be targeting further arrivals and has shifted his attention to the German Bundesliga as he identifies the perfect player to come in and complete an exciting January transfer window for the club.
West Ham's January targets
Whether West Ham succeed in tying up a deal for a new winger remains to be seen at this stage but regardless of this endeavour, it would be wise to advance interest in Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus, who could make the leap to England this month.
According to SPORT BILD, the German ace is seeking an exit from his side after becoming disillusioned under head coach Gerardo Seoane.
While there have been tenuous links across Europe, it's understood that there is concrete interest in the Premier League and the Hammers will rival Aston Villa for his services, with a loan move the most probable route this month.
Why West Ham want Florian Neuhaus
Once hailed as a "complete" midfielder who will be a "top-class player for many years to come" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Neuhaus, aged 26, has served Gladbach well since signing from 1860 Munich back in 2017, making 190 appearances, scoring 25 goals and supplying 26 assists.
Proficient with his gliding movements and spatial awareness, Neuhaus likes to operate between the lines and scan the action as it unfurls before him, picking his moment and moving into free space to latch onto passes and drive into the final third.
This season, he has only started seven times in the Bundesliga but does boast three goals for his labours, also racking up two assists in the DFB Pokal, and would add a dimension to West Ham's side, opening up another offensive angle from the centre of the park.
As per FBref, Neuhaus ranks among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored and shots taken, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for touches in the attacking box and the top 24% for progressive carries per 90.
Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta have both picked up injuries this month and the latter faces several months on the sidelines in what is a shattering blow for the Irons, and Neuhaus offers the skill set to succeed the Brazilian; on a loan move too, this could be the perfect route for Moyes to delve down.
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Having spent much time with the Foals, perhaps Neuhaus needs a change of scenery to rekindle his best football, and at West Ham, the £66k-per-week star could provide the skills to finish the campaign with a bang, especially given that he's been remarked to play like Barcelona sensation Frenkie de Jong.
How Florian Neuhaus compares to Frenkie de Jong
Neuhaus, it would seem, does need to make a move this month, and with the ten-cap international said by an official Bundesliga player profile to offer immense close control and high-class distribution much like De Jong, it might be a worthwhile venture for Moyes' side, with a defensive aggressivity to boot.
One of the great passers of his generation, De Jong ranks among the top 3% of midfielders for pass completion and the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90, even heralded as a "generational genius" by writer Muhammad Butt.
Passing
Key passes
Through balls
Concentration
Aerial duels
Signing for Barcelona in a £65m deal from boyhood club Ajax back in 2019, the Dutchman indeed blends beguiling technique with crisp defensive work, winning 59% of his duels in La Liga this season and averaging 2.3 tackles per game.
The 26-year-old doesn't offer the same level of direct attacking ability as the 5 foot 11 Neuhaus, scoring only 16 times for La Blaugrana across 202 appearances, but is an elite operator in the centre of the park and is crucial to the build-up of many an attacking sequence.
De Jong has not played in the Premier League but was fiercely fought for by Manchester United back in 2022 and Barca and the Red Devils had even reached an agreement on a fee for €85m (£70m), though the move was scuppered due to complications with the players' salary and a reluctance to make the move to Old Trafford.
Nonetheless, he's one of the finest midfielders in the business and if West Ham were to secure the services of a player of similar style in Neuhaus – whose rise at Gladbach has been referenced as "incredible" by Gladbach sporting director Nils Schmadtke – Moyes could land the asset that ensures his United squad continue this remarkable chapter in the club's history.
With West Ham enjoying so much glittering success under Moyes' wing throughout the past several years, sealing a swoop for a player such as Neuhaus could be the perfect way to cement the strength of the midfield in a counterbalancing deal with Phillips.
Paqueta's not going to be returning to the grass any time soon and Neuhaus could be the enterprising player to spark success over the crucial next few months for the east London outfit, with continental qualification and silverware very much attainable.