Late movement at West Ham

With only days left in the January transfer window, West Ham United have confirmed that they have made their first signing, as 17-year-old Josh Landers has joined from Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian.

Landers will join up with Mark Robson’s Development Squad and will hope that he can one day make the step up to the first-team and follow in the footsteps of Oliver Scarles, Kaelan Casey and Lewis Orford, who have all been involved in the matchday squad under Head-Coach Graham Potter since he arrived at the club back on 9 January.

Following a successful trial at Rush Green, the hierarchy decided to pursue a deal for the Scottish international striker, who has been a prolific goalscorer since coming through the ranks at the Edinburgh-based club in 2017.

The transfer of Landers wasn’t the only piece of business to be done in Stratford on Thursday evening though, as deals were sanctioned earlier in the month that saw second temporary departures for Krisztián Hegyi and Maxwel Cornet. Now, Michael Forbes has followed suit and headed out of Stratford for a second loan spell until the end of the current campaign with the Northern Irish defender joining Sky Bet League Two outfit Colchester United until May.

The 20-year-old only returned from his spell at Sky Bet League One side Bristol Rovers because he needed treatment on a hamstring injury.

In the summer transfer window, former Head-Coach Julen Lopetegui allowed Cornet, along with teammates Forbes, Hegyi. Levi Laing, Freddie Potts, George Earthy, Patrick Kelly, Callum Marshall and Gideon Kodua to leave East London on temporary deals but shortly after the Spaniard was relieved of his duties twenty two days ago, Laing, together with Hegyi and Cornet were all recalled from their respective destinations.