Football Limbo. A term used by the tabloids to describe one's rather purgatorial transfer situation, where first team opportunities at on's current club remain relatively slim them but viable suitors are few and far between.
Football Limbo. A rehashed idiom conjured up by Newspaper hacks that emerges in every transfer window with almost painful tenacity.
Football Limbo. The kind of thing bargain-hunting West Ham manager Sam Allardyce can't get enough of, revelling in an orgy of cut-price stars desperate to be brought back into football heaven, or at least football earth.
And with the Upton Park boss charged with the task of securing a top half Premier League finish this season despite a rather modest £20million summer budget, finding Premier League stars caught in a state of transfer purgatory might just save Big Sam his job in East London.
So just in case he's short on a few ideas, here's FIVE the Hammers should be considering this summer.
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HATEM BEN ARFA
Having fallen out with Alan Pardew and subsequently sent home to France 'for the good of the club', Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa needs to find a new club this summer.
Even his rumoured big-money pay-out to the Middle East proved to be a non-starter...
The France international's inconsistencies are well known - and you'd imagine Sam Allardyce wouldn't take too kindly to his limited defensive work-rate. But on his day, the 27 year-old is undoubtedly one of the most formidable widemen in the Premier League. Here's a collection of 'the Geordie Messi's' best goals from his spell on Tyneside: //www.youtube.com/embed/-tdUrYX-IzM And Karim Benzema thinks he could've played for Barcelona!
With just a year left on his contract and no love left for him at St. James's, the four-time Ligue 1 winner could be available for around £5million according to Mirror Football, but a surprise swoop from Liverpool has also been speculated.
VICTOR MOSES
Another Premier League wideman stuck in footballing limbo is Chelsea's Victor Moses. The Nigeria international's loan spell with Liverpool didn't go too well, as shown below...
...suggesting a return to first team affairs at Stamford Bridge is incredibly unlikely.
The 23 year-old's end product can often leave a lot to be desired, and this heat-map from the Super Eagles' World Cup match with Iran is rather concerning...
But he's netted a couple of decent strikes in his time - here's a collection of Moses' goals prior to his Chelsea switch in summer 2012... //www.youtube.com/embed/iuOrjThnLdQ
...and his mixture of trickery, power and industriousness would go down well at Upton Park. The former Crystal Palace winger seems pretty keen on a move this summer...
...and a transfer fee of between £5million-£7million seems a sensible estimate
MAROUANE FELLAINI
It's no secret that Marouane Fellaini's move to Manchester United has been a complete disaster, and it's unlikely he'll survive the change in regime at Old Trafford this summer.
But it wasn't long ago the Belgian lankster was considered to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Just in case you need reminding, here's the highlights from his 11-goal-five-assist 2012/13 campaign at former club Everton...
//www.youtube.com/embed/-3Q_lYpsBOk
... and he netted this vital header against Algeria on Tuesday to get Belgium back into the match...
Furthermore, there's no doubt the 6 foot 4 afro-bearer's physically confrontational style and aerial dominance would fit perfectly with the Hammers' direct brand of football. The Express reckon he could be available for around £15million - but that would eat up the vast majority of Sam Allardyce's summer transfer budget.
MICHU
Unable to halt the rise of Wilfried Bony whilst enduring a lengthy injury spell on the sidelines, Swansea striker Michu is verging upon 'forgotten man' status at the Liberty stadium. But it wasn't long ago the £2million signing was widely considered to be one of the Premier League's best ever bargains, in no small part due to the 22 goals claimed in his debut season with the Swans, shown in this vid below... //www.youtube.com/embed/3ipMwpXbEiY?autoplay=1 The once-capped Spain international is better known for his contributions to Swansea's aesthetic build-up play. But also boasting a powerful 6 foot 1 frame, he would be an ideal signing to aid the evolution of the Hammers' much-maligned attritional style. The Daily Star claim the East Londoners have already made a bid...
But Michu has admirers throughout the Premier League, including Arsenal, Aston Villa and Spurs to name a few.
MICAH RICHARDS
//www.youtube.com/embed/js6o7tdkNPc?autoplay=1
With Guy Demel now 33 years of age, the Hammers need to find a new right-back this summer.
Boasting brutal athleticism, aerial ability, pace and power, whilst also capable of playing at centre-back, as demonstrated in the above video, Manchester City's Micah Richards would be a perfect like-for-like replacement.
The 25 year-old contributed a vital six assists to the Citizens' Premier League title in 2012 - the most of any top flight defender that season.
But a combination of injuries and the rise of Pablo Zabaleta has seen him make just seven league appearances in the two years since.
Resultantly, after rejecting the opportunity to extend his current deal at the Etihad, which expires in 2015, the occasional England international is expected to leave this summer...
But the Hammers could find their interest in the £5million-rated defender eclipsed by Arsenal and Liverpool, who are both on the prowl for a new No.2.