Allardyce reveals defensive wish list

Sam Allardyce wants a centre-back and a left-back in the January transfer window, but refuses to sell any players.

West Ham were left short in defence after centre-back James Collins picked up a calf injury in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Sunderland.

They were also forced to field inexperienced Daniel Potts on the left due to injuries to both George McCartney and Joey O’Brien.

Blackburn left-back Martin Olsson has been linked to the club, and Allardyce went on to outline the club’s plans for the transfer window.

He told the Daily Mail: “The most important thing for me is players coming in, not going out.

“We only have two centre-halves left in James Tomkins and Winston Reid and we have a young 19-year-old at full-back because we have no one else, so I need two if I am really honest.

“I have been looking for a left-back for the last 10 days and found that very difficult to find one to come and join us and now it is a left-back and a centre-half or a left-back who can play at centre-half ideally.

“On Monday, it will probably start with what’s what, who’s who, where’s where and who wants to go here there and everywhere.

“There will probably be 50 to 60 calls between now and Monday to get somewhere to secure a player.”

His clarification of the club’s priorities followed reports of Newcastle’s interest in centre-back James Tomkins, who was linked with a move to the Magpies last season before signing a new contract.

He added: “We have never been in a position to sell anybody and we don’t want to. We want to increase the size of the squad not decrease it and sell anybody.

“But you never know what happens in this window because if someone offers you an unbelievable amount of money for one of your players then the owners look at that and say that is too much to turn down, not that that has happened at the moment.”