West Ham considering loan transfer bid for Man City star Nathan Ake after Kurt Zouma injury adds to defensive crisis

WEST HAM are considering a loan bid for Nathan Ake after being rocked by the news Kurt Zouma faces months on the sidelines through injury.

Zouma limped out of the 3-2 win over their London rivals on Saturday and scans have confirmed serious damage to the hamstring which is expected to keep him out of action until March.

It is a major blow to boss David Moyes who has already seen his other first choice centre-back Angelo Ogbonna ruled out for the season with a knee injury.

And there is more bad news after fellow defender Ben Johnson was also revealed to have suffered a low-grade hamstring strain, forcing him to be sidelined for around a month.

So with just two senior central defenders available to him, Moyes desperately needs to get someone in early in the transfer window.

Manchester City ace Ake is an obvious option, given his proven ability in the Premier League and the fact he can play on the left side of the defence.

The 26-year-old Dutchman has started just three games in the league this season and is fourth choice centre-back at City – and the Hammers will hope they can tempt him with the offer of regular first team football.

They would be unable to come up with a large fee for the former Bournemouth star but a loan deal may suit all parties, if they can convince Pep Guardiola to release him from his squad.

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Zouma has been a mainstay at the back for the Hammers since his £29.8million move to the club from Chelsea in August.

Moyes had only been hailing the impact the France international has made at the London Stadium in the build up to last week’s victory, which saw West Ham consolidate fourth in the Premier League.

But the hopes of securing a top four finish this season are now seriously under threat, with Craig Dawson and Issa Diop the only senior centre-backs left fit at the club.

The Hammers now face six Premier League matches to negotiate with the pair before they are able to even bring someone new into their squad when the window opens.

And they also face a Europa League clash with Dinamo Zagreb and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham in a hectic period for the club.

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