After missing out on eight (yep, EIGHT) potential deadline day additions, West Ham’s winter window is one to forget. Even though chairman David Gold urged fans to keep their Ovaltine warm and see out the yellow bonanza that was Sky Sports’ coverage of the big day, the Hammers didn’t quite get deals for the likes of Younes Kaboul and Emmanuel Adebayor over the line, but even though the deadline was just hours ago, we can now focus on the looming summer window.

With a new era beckoning for the Hammers at the Olympic Stadium, the club are at a crossroads. Good business could ensure they maintain their role as top four candidates, but in order to have a chance failings cannot be repeated… here are FIVE deals they should get over the line next time around.

Alexandre Song

Song

While other clubs were reluctant to offer Alex Song a route back to the Premier League after his Barcelona hell, West Ham took the gamble, and have been, thus far, rewarded for the roll of the dice. The Cameroonian midfielder has been a key cog in the Irons’ engine room through the opening half of the season, and although some may have exaggerated his performances, he’s certainly been a terrific signing.

Naturally, the ‘bigger boys’ are now circling the ex-Arsenal man – Liverpool are particularly keen – but West Ham are, according to ‘Big Sam’, eager to make the arrangement a permanent one, which is surely a priority for the summer.

Winston Reid

Reid

Not strictly a signing, Reid should be a priority for the coming months, and potentially the summer. The New Zealand ace is currently in the final six months of his Irons contract, and the prospect of the star centre-back walking out of Upton Park and, potentially, to Arsenal or Spurs is a realistic one.

A new contract can be tied up at any point, and to build on, or even maintain, the form from this season in 2015/16, the key men in Allardyce’s XI must be kept.

Yevhen Konoplyanka

Kono

Although the January 2015 deadline was not as dominated by the name Konoplyanka as the January 2014 edition, the Ukrainian has remained in the thoughts of many Premier League fans, particularly those of Spurs.

The Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk wide-man’s future looks to be, at long last, away from his homeland, with a free move in the summer when his contract expires appears increasingly likely to happen. West Ham were linked with ‘Kono’ last year, with the winger open to a deal, and the prospect of getting in a top class player on the flanks for no fee is one ‘Big Sam’ surely cannot pass on.

Andre-Pierre Gignac

Gignac

Among the flurry of late transfer links yesterday, Frenchman Gignac made a somewhat surprise appearance. The Marseille striker, now 29, has been linked with Premier League moves more times than we’d care to mention over the course of the past few years, but it had looked, until this season, that his time had passed.

Yet, with l’OM flying in Ligue 1, Gignac has notched 14 goals in 23 games, alerting the Hammers. Even with Sakho, Valencia and Carroll on form, another goal-getter is always a bonus, particularly if European action is secured…

Carl Jenkinson

Jenks

While Song is the loanee getting the attention, Jenkinson has been quietly impressive in the claret and blue. The dependable full-back joined the club from Arsenal, and in spite of their defensive troubles, there is every chance his future at the Emirates Stadium could be a bleak one.

A mooted £12m fee may be a little on the steep side, but with the young England international possessing the potential to get even better, he may be worth the gamble.