West Ham United could turn their attention to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before this month's transfer deadline...

What's the word?

According to ESPN, Liverpool may sell the 27-year-old midfielder in order to raise funds before making their own moves in the market, and it comes just days after the Hammers were mooted with a move for him.

The Express have claimed that manager David Moyes is considering a possible loan bid for the England international as he continues to seek a viable alternative to Jesse Lingard.

West Brom playmaker Matheus Pereira and Chelsea outcast Ross Barkley are other options linked with the Irons in recent weeks.

Wilshere 2.0?

If the 58-year-old goes ahead with plans to seal a move for Oxlade-Chamberlain, then he could be about to repeat one of Manuel Pellegrini's biggest mistakes.

It wouldn't be the first time that West Ham have put their faith in an injury-prone player, having signed Jack Wilshere on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2018 when the Chilean was in the dugout.

On his day, the former Gunners youth product was one of the best in the Premier League with the ball at his feet, but the Hammers saw him on the pitch only 19 times in two years as he couldn't shake off the injury problems which troubled him at the Emirates Stadium.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is in a very similar mould. Capped 35 times by England, his quality cannot be doubted, especially as he's made more than 200 appearances in the English top-flight and has a Premier League title, Champions League and FA Cup win in his trophy cabinet.

Arsene Wenger once compared him to Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas too, but Oxlade-Chamberlain has also endured a tough time on the treatment table in recent years.

He played a mere 244 minutes last season and during their title-winning 2019/20 campaign, he could only muster up a total of 1,490 minutes (just 17 starts).

The Athletic's Reds correspondent James Pearce even described him as "a passenger" back in January, also claiming that his form was a "real concern."

It remains to be seen what sort of finances would be involved in a loan deal, but with Oxlade-Chamberlain sitting on around £120k-per-week, it would be a massive gamble to make, and as we've seen in the past with Wilshere, it doesn't always work out.

Whilst Moyes' coaching could see the former Arsenal star become another Lingard, it seems likely that injury problems would have him heading down the same fatal path as Wilshere.

The Irons must block any move for the Liverpool outcast this summer.

AND in other news, Moyes given big West Ham transfer boost over £36m-rated "machine", fans surely buzzing...