West Ham United are weighing up a move for former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Ruben Rochina. According to recent reports, the Hammers are set to battle it out with a whole host of clubs which includes the English Championship club Fulham and the La Liga outfit Girona in pursuit of the ex-Premier League player. The 26-year-old could be available in this January transfer window due to Rubin Kazan’s ongoing financial problems.
Rochina signed for the Russian side in the summer of 2016 from Granada and has gone on to make 31 appearances for Kazan, scoring two goals and making five assists so far. It is believed that the Spaniard has not been paid for his services in the past few months and could take the issue up to FIFA just like his former team-mate Yann M’Vila did and get his contract with the club terminated, which will allow him to become a free agent.
A number of clubs have been alerted about his availability with the Hammers being one of them. David Moyes could look to bring the Spanish midfield veteran to east London in an effort to strengthen his attacking options before the transfer window comes to a close at the end of this month.
West Ham United are currently occupying 11th place in the Premier League table with a tally of 26 points in 24 league matches. They are flying high in the league and have done well since the appointment of David Moyes as the club’s new manager in November last year. However, the Hammers are sitting just 4 points above the relegation zone with a number of their key players sidelined due to injuries. Andy Carroll might need to undergo a foot surgery while the duo of Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic have fallen victim to hamstring injuries.
With major doubts over the futures of Javier Hernandez, Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew, the east London outfit could look to bring in another attacking option which might help them in their fight to save themselves and ensure Premier League safety for another season. Rochina has a wealth of experience and would come in with prior Premier League knowledge having played for Blackburn Rovers in the past. The Spaniard is also highly versatile and can operate in any position across the midfield which makes him an ideal asset to play under Moyes in London.
It remains to be seen if West Ham are able to capture the player’s signature ahead of a crucial few months in what is set to be a busy second half of their Premier League campaign.
