West Ham United boss David Moyes has set his sights on signing at least one central defender during the January transfer window, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

The Hammers have enjoyed a stellar first half of the season and are challenging for a Champions League spot, but injuries have hampered their progress in recent weeks.

What injury problems have West Ham suffered?

West Ham's first significant setback of the season came when Angelo Ogbonna sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the win over Liverpool last month.

Moyes has since confirmed the Italian will miss the remainder of the season, which is a major blow after the 33-year-old had failed to miss a single minute of the Premier League season.

The Hammers' defensive woes went up a notch when fellow centre-half Kurt Zouma and full-back Ben Johnson suffered hamstring injuries in the comeback victory over Chelsea earlier this month.

Zouma is expected to be out of action for a number of months after scans revealed the Frenchman suffered hamstring tendon damage.

Although Johnson returned from his lay-off in the Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur in midweek, they have been without left-back Aaron Cresswell for close to a month after he collided with the goalpost against Manchester City.

The 32-year-old has not featured in recent weeks despite Moyes revealing Cresswell had resumed light training just days after picking up the back problem.

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What has Pete O'Rourke said about the situation?

West Ham have picked up just one Premier League win since Ogbonna was forced off against Liverpool, which has seen them drop out of the top four.

Ogbonna and Zouma's absence has resulted in the Hammers having just two central defenders - in Craig Dawson and Issa Diop - at their disposal. 

Consequently, O'Rourke believes Moyes will be looking to strengthen his options in that area of the pitch when the transfer window reopens at the turn of the year.

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The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: "After the Ogbonna injury, he was definitely looking to bring in a centre-back.

"Ideally, David Moyes would at least want to bring in one central defender in January."

Have West Ham been linked with any central defenders?

West Ham are long-term admirers of James Tarkowski and reports suggest they could look to complete a switch in January.

Tarkowski's Burnley contract is set to expire in the summer, so a cut-price deal could be done to prise him away from Turf Moor.

It has been claimed that the Hammers are readying a final offer of £7million for the 29-year-old before potentially setting their sights on Liverpool's Nat Phillips and Ben Davies.

West Ham are also considering lodging a loan bid for Manchester City's Nathan Ake as they look to bolster their defensive options.

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