With the press linking him to a move to Liverpool, the pressure is on West Ham to tie Alex Song down to a permanent deal, in what could be the best January business done anywhere in the Premier League.

The Cameroonian, currently on loan from Barcelona, has been a colossus in the centre of the park for the Hammers this season, a huge part of the reason they are where they are in the table.

But if this is to prove any more than a flash in the pan season, Sam Allardyce and the Irons boardroom must do all that they can to finalise a deal.

With a move to the Olympic Stadium just 18 months away, the step up the club are looking to make needs to start in earnest now, and Song would be a great start to that.

Bagging a player at 27-years-old, still well in his prime, at the standard of Song would be a major coup in a period of growth for the east London side, and would only act as a beacon to attract more high profile names to don the claret and blue.

Liverpool are reported to be challenging for his signature, but West Ham are apparently confident they will come out on top in any tussle.

The 27-year-old is keen to feature in European football next season, and with his current club in seventh and his Merseyside pursuers in eighth, there could be even more incentive to climb the table in 2015.

One thing the Hammers do have to their advantage is that both Song and his wife apparently enjoy living in London, rendering any move out of the capital less likely.

The fee and wages are likely to be lofty, but thrashing out a deal with his Catalan parent club would be the best signing Sam Allardyce can make in the window, and would say a lot about the aspirations of the club.

More pressing matters though, come in the form of a visit of Hull on Sunday, for which the Hammers are priced up at 7/10 to get the European qualification push back on track with three points.