3 reasons why West Ham will clinch a European place this season

Bought well in January

Not many Premier League clubs were active in January, but West Ham were certainly one of those that were.

And they did a great job in both getting the players they wanted, as well as letting those go that either don’t want to play for the club or need regular football somewhere else.

The acquisitions of Jose Fonte and Robert Snodgrass were excellent, with defender Fonte having been one of the most reliable in the top-flight over the last few years, and Snodgrass the main reason that Hull haven’t been cut adrift at the bottom of the table.

Both Southampton and Hull will feel those losses, while West Ham are sure to reap the rewards for making very shrewd moves in a bid to bolster the squad.

Obviously, Payet left the club for £25 million, while the highly-rated duo of Toni Martinez and Reece Oxford have been allowed out on loan to Oxford and Reading respectively to accrue first team experience.

All in all, West Ham did it right in January, and have strengthened their squad in a bid to close the gap on the European places between now and May.