West Ham moved 12 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone courtesy of a comfortable 3-1 win over Middlesbrough last weekend.

Slaven Bilic’s men beat Crystal Palace 3-0 the week before to record their first victory of 2017, and they backed that up with an equally impressive display at the Riverside Stadium, with an Andy Carroll brace inspiring the Hammers to an eighth win of the campaign.

Jonathan Calleri added a third late on to secure the points, and indeed move West Ham up to tenth in the Premier League table, and 12 points clear of the bottom three.

That win all but erases any lingering fears about relegation for the Hammers this season, but they can now turn their attentions to replicating last season’s seventh place finish in the top-flight, although they trail Everton, who occupy that position, by eight points with just 16 games to go.

Thus, Bilic may consider dipping into the winter window in the coming days in a bid to strengthen his squad, as they look for back-to-back top-half finishes in the top-flight.

And, having been linked with several players in recent months, here is what their dream spine could look like come February 1…

Darren Randolph

Darren Randolph got his chance in the first team after a few costly errors from Adrian saw the Spaniard dropped by manager Bilic.

And Republic of Ireland international Randolph has done well in Adrian’s absence to suggest that he’ll remain number one for the rest of the campaign.

The 29-year-old has started their last 11 Premier League matches, and in that time has kept three clean sheets and also impressed in games against Manchester United and Liverpool.

He’s clearly a top goalkeeper who can be relied upon to command his box and make key saves at key times, so he’ll certainly be the man in between the sticks for the foreseeable future.

Jose Fonte

West Ham pulled off quite the coup in securing the services of Southampton captain Jose Fonte last week, especially as Manchester United had shown an interest during the summer.

The centre-back, who won the European Championships with Portugal last year, made just under 300 appearances for the Saints in a seven-year spell at St Mary’s, and helped them go from a League One outfit to an established Premier League team.

Fonte has proved his credentials in the top-flight over the past three years, failing to appear in only four of Southampton’s 114 matches in their last three full seasons, and earning rave reviews from many as to his ability in the heart of a Saints defence which has always been difficult to break down.

Similar performances at West Ham will certainly please Bilic, and indeed the Hammers faithful.

Manuel Lanzini

Bilic has been chopping and changing formation over recent weeks, but one man that is always at the heart of his midfield is Manuel Lanzini.

And Dimitri Payet’s refusal to play could see the Argentine become the focal point of this West Ham team.

The 23-year-old has risen to the challenge in recent weeks with a goal and fine performance against Crystal Palace a fortnight ago, as well as two assists in their 3-1 win over Middlesbrough last time out.

Lanzini is clearly relishing the role in the centre of Bilic’s midfield, and he’ll become an increasingly important player for the club over the coming weeks should the Payet situation not improve.

Daniel Sturridge

Andy Carroll has been absolutely outstanding for the Hammers since returning from injury, yet there is a chance that he could be joined upfront by Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge this month.

That’s because the England striker is not getting regular first team football at Anfield, and hasn’t been churning out great performances in recent weeks when given the chance.

The 27-year-old wasted two good chances in a disappointing display against Southampton on Wednesday, while he was no more than average against Plymouth in the FA Cup, and the Saints in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final.

Thus, Sturridge, who has scored 60 goals in 112 games for Liverpool, may look to move on this month, and West Ham have reportedly been linked with the striker.

The Hammers themselves have had striker issues this season, so a move to the London Stadium would make sense and indeed benefit both parties.