West Ham United endured a rather strange transfer window.
The club spent the majority of the summer focusing on outgoings rather than incomings and one particular transfer sparked major outrage.
Grady Diangana moved to West Bromwich Albion for a fee of around £18m and the club promised that the fee would be wholly reinvested into the squad.
And for a very long time, it did not appear all that likely.
The Hammers had only signed Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek on a permanent basis before the final week of the domestic transfer window.
That was despite the likes of Albian Ajeti, Jordan Hugill, Josh Cullen, Roberto, Xande Silva, Felipe Anderson, Pablo Zabaleta, Carlos Sanchez, and Jack Wilshere all departing.
However, two loan signings were agreed as Craig Dawson came in from Watford and, on Friday, Said Benrahma arrived from Brentford.
West Ham do have the option to sign Benrahma on a permanent deal.
But Football Insider reports that the groundwork has been laid for a January deal.
Joshua King was deemed as a potential back-up to Benrahma if he could not be signed and the report claims that the Bournemouth striker could end up in east London at the turn of the year.
The club had multiple bids, rising to £14m, rejected by the Championship club, but the Hammers believe that they will be able to snap him up in January.
His asking price could have gone below £10m by then as he enters the final six months of the contract and King was said to be keen to move to the London Stadium.
Manager David Moyes had been keen to snap up his signature but he will instead have to wait to get his man.
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
This could be a really good move from the Hammers.
They were obviously unable to snaffle King away from Bournemouth but waiting until January could ultimately net them a bargain.
He is an experienced Premier League player with 48 top-flight goals to his name and paying pretty much anything below £10m is as cheap as chips.
King would add pace and versatility to the forward line and bringing him in to play alongside Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen, and Michail Antonio would help the Irons build a truly dangerous squad.
Should they get it over the line, this would be a superb deal.