West Ham manager David Moyes insists the club must invest in midfielders in the January transfer window to build a competitive squad.
The Hammers were bundled out of the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday as they failed to register a shot on target in a 1-0 defeat away to Arsenal.
Teenagers Declan Rice and Domingos Quina both started in the middle while the likes of Joe Hart and Javier Hernandez also earned opportunities.
While disappointed with his side's defending for Danny Welbeck's scrappy first-half winner, Moyes believes his problems can be solved further afield.
"We need to add quality and you can see that tonight," Moyes told Sky Sports.