Last Updated: Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:41
Sam Allardyce is finding it tricky to bring in the defensive reinforcements he believes West Ham need this month.
The Hammers manager has made no secret of his desire to bring in new defensive players due to the toll injuries have taken on his side.
Allardyce is looking abroad in search of a short-term solution, with the quota of domestic loans taken up by Marouane Chamakh and Andy Carroll.
Moves for Dnipro's Samuel Inkoom and Nancy defender Massadio Haidara were ruled out, with Allardyce revealing a permanent addition is only likely if a player was in the last six months of their contract.
"We're not making as good progress as I would have liked," the West Ham boss said. "It has been hugely frustrating.
"We've been trying in the whole of the window to try and bring in a defender, but not been able to clinch a deal yet.
"That is probably because we have been looking for a short-term deal in loans, as in terms of not permanent deals.
"I think at this stage of the window everybody wants to, if they are going to release a player, let him go on a permanent basis, not on a short-term loan basis.
"I think that will probably change as the window gets closer to closing and hopefully we will be more successful in our plight to get a defender in at that stage."
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