West Ham United enjoyed a fantastic 2023 that saw them lift European silverware for the first time, and as the Premier League takes a short winter break, they find themselves all the way up in sixth.
There have been plenty of stand-out performers for the Irons over the last 12 months, with long-term players and summer signings stepping up for the team when called upon.
That said, things can always be improved, and what better time to strengthen the team than when things are looking great?
This is clearly the attitude that David Moyes and the club are taking, as the latest player touted for a move to the London Stadium could bring with him bags of goals and be an upgrade on Saïd Benrahma: Ajax's Steven Bergwijn.
West Ham United transfer news – Steven Bergwijn
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Ajax winger Bergwijn is one of West Ham's "top targets" in the January window, and he will be allowed to leave the Dutch giants should a "good proposal" come in for him.
In good news for the Hammers, Dutch journalist Valentijn Driessen revealed last year that an offer of around €40m – about £35m – should be enough to convince Ajax to sell, and while that is still a lot of money, it is not out of reach.
The other interested parties might be the more significant obstacle to this deal being completed, though.
Romano has also claimed that other Premier League clubs are keen on the rapid winger, as are sides from the Saudi Pro League, who could offer wage packages too dear for the Eastenders to match.
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However, if West Ham can get ahead of the competition, they could have their hands on a "top player", as dubbed by former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson, for a not-so-unreasonable price.
How Steven Bergwijn compares to Saïd Benrahma
Now, if the Conference League champions can get this deal over the line, it would likely spell the end of Benrahma's career in Claret and Blue – especially as the club are reportedly open to selling the Algerian this month.
Alongside the former Brentford star, Lucas Paqueta has been frequenting the left side of the midfield, and for as good as the Ajax star has been over the last year, he isn't going to leapfrog the Brazilian right away.
However, if he can come in, replace Benrahma and make appearances across the frontline, that would still represent savvy business from the club.
That said, how does the former Spurs player stack up to the man he could replace in East London?
Well, it's not pretty reading for Benrahma as the Netherlands international has him soundly beaten in almost every relevant statistic, bar progressive carries.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals and Assists
0.54
0.36
Progressive Passes
5.16
4.06
Progressive Carries
3.79
4.06
Shots on Target
1.05
0.73
Passing Accuracy
84.6%
73.7%
Shot-Creating Actions
4.91
3.77
Goal-Creating Actions
0.48
0.15
Successful Take-Ons
2.18
2.03
The "special" player, as former manager Antonio Conte once dubbed him, has a more impressive non-penalty expected goal and assist figure, takes more shots on target per 90, has a significantly better passing accuracy, and produces far more shot-creating and goal-creating actions per 90. It's promising stuff indeed.
At the end of the day, while Bergwijn might have struggled somewhat at Spurs, he has more than proven his ability back in the Netherlands, and if West Ham can get this deal over the line, then they could have a serious player on their hands.