West Ham United 'in talks to sign Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe on loan'

Hammers boss David Moyes confirmed earlier this week that he is keen to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window.

"The truth is we will try and do some business," Moyes said on Tuesday after West Ham's FA Cup defeat to Bristol City. "Undoubtedly, there's a desire from the club to try and do something and from me and everybody there."

West Ham are having to cope without Lucas Paqueta, Pablo Fornals and Michail Antonio due to injury, while Mohammed Kudus is away with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Meanwhile, there are doubts over the futures of Danny Ings, Maxwel Cornet and Said Benrahma, who have all struggled for regular game time and have been linked with January exits from the London Stadium.

According to ExWHUEmployee, West Ham are in discussions with Arsenal over a possible loan deal for Smith Rowe, a player who is said to be admired by Moyes.

Smith Rowe emerged from the Hale End academy and made his senior debut for Arsenal in 2018, before spending time on loan at RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town.

The 23-year-old has since made a total of 108 first-team appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, scoring 18 goals and providing 12 assists, but his game time has been restricted this season, largely due to a series of injuries.

Smith Rowe has started just two of his 12 appearances for Arsenal across all tournaments in 2023-24, including just six outings in the Premier League.

The three-cap England international was linked with a possible exit from the Emirates Stadium last summer amid interest from Aston Villa and Newcastle United, but Mikel Arteta was keen for the versatile midfielder to remain part of his squad as the club competes in four different competitions, including the Champions League.

It remains to be seen whether Arteta's stance on Smith Rowe has changed, but Sky Sports Deutschland reporter Florian Plettenberg claims that a loan move to West Ham is unlikely at this stage.

Smith Rowe is not the only midfielder on West Ham's radar, though, as Sky Sports News reports that the Hammers are in talks with Manchester City over a loan move for Kalvin Phillips.

The report adds that negotiation between the two clubs are currently centre on the conditions of a potential deal, with Man City allegedly demanding a £7m loan fee for the out-of-favour midfielder.

Newcastle and Crystal Palace are also said to have made contact with the Citizens over Phillips, while Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are all believed to be monitoring the situation.