Hey everyone hammers fan in peace again. Apologies I haven't been on here as I generally only come here when there is some sort of involvement between the two clubs (playing each other, McCarthy tackle, etc), and I now see that we are linked to the same player (Byram) so I wanted to give my 2 pence worth.
I've only seen him play a few times admittedly but when I do he has always been their stand-out player, along with one of their midfielders whose name for the life of me I can't remember. There's no doubt that he's strong going forward, but I didn't think he was as poor defensively as some in the media/social media are making out. I think that is just a stereotype that most jump to when describing an attacking fullback. Overall I believe he would strengthen both teams to no end. You lot need cover/competition for Coleman and I believe he could be that player. Also, if you were to entertain any large bids for Coleman in the summer, it would put you in a decent position to already have a replacement in the squad, especially one so highly rated at such little financial output.
We also could really use a player like Byram. I've had an eye on him ever since we were linked a few seasons ago under Allardyce, who is a huge fan of him as well. We've been linked every window since, as I imagine has pretty much every other club. Jenkinson has been in a rough patch of form, to the point where we are starting a CB Tomkins there instead (and tbf he has done rather well). Also, Arsenal are demanding a huge fee of (10-12mil) for Jenkinson, which we just won't pay. Having a decent alternative to Jenkinson would be perfect for the system we play, and I can definitely see why we might be moving for Byram. It'll be interesting to see who he ends up at, and I believe either team would be a good fit for him. Good luck for the rest of the season, except for when you play us. Also, apologies for the novel