Graham Potter has a major rebuild on his hands this summer if he is to turn West Ham around and one of the building blocks may already be in place.
Alongside head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay and de facto director of football David Sullivan, West Ham boss Graham Potter is said to be planning a huge turnaround.
A top West Ham source claimed this week that as many as 16-18 players could be shipped out with up to eight signings wanted.
After promising to look to the club’s Academy before turning to the transfer market, Potter is also expected to promote a number of emerging Hammers stars to the first team squad.
Midfield is widely recognised to be West Ham’s biggest problem.
Potter and Macaulay plotting major West Ham overhaul
A hodge podge mix of players who don’t complement one another at all is the unfortunate legacy of a mixture of David Moyes, Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui.
The middle of the pitch sorely lacks pace and dynamism.
At least one or two young box-to-box midfielders are needed to help transform an ageing and immobile midfield.
Angel Gomes and Ezechiel Banzuzi were big targets of Potter and Macaulay.
But both are moving elsewhere with Edmonton-born Gomes keen on joining Spurs and Banzuzi having already signed for RB Leipzig.
More tenacity and guile is needed in central midfield next season.
Potter has George Earthy, Lewis Orford and Freddie Potts as potential graduates to step up should he deem them ready.
However, a highly-rated young midfielder could now form a big part of Potter’s rebuild.
And the 49-year-old has had nothing to do with it.
Because an exciting star has helped his club make history and will now join West Ham as a forgotten parting gift.
Rising star will now join West Ham after making history with club
When references are made to last summer’s £155m transfer splurge it is often stated Steidten and Lopetegui spent £155m on nine signings.
While strictly true in terms of players brought in for the first team, the Hammers actually signed 10 players.
And that 10th capture could turn out to be the biggest gem of them all.
West Ham announced the signing of Mohamadou Kante from Ligue 2 club Paris FC for a reported £500k towards the end of last summer’s window.
The talented, rangy young box-to-box midfielder has all the ingredients in his game the Hammers are missing. On paper at least.
It says everything about West Ham’s high hopes for Kante that they signed him up to a five-year deal as he was loaned back to Paris FC for the 2024/25 season.
The French capital club were so angry at losing him for such a low fee, they initially punished the 19-year-old by freezing him out of the first team setup.
You can’t hold a top talent down, though.
And Kante worked his way back into the mix over the season, culminating with him coming off the bench to help Paris FC to a 1-1 draw at Martigues as they made history by sealing promotion to Ligue 1.
The club has a massive stadium ready for their elevation to the French big time – right on the doorstep of city rivals PSG.
Forgotten West Ham signing Kante could be key to Potter’s rebuild
But Kante will be plying his trade at the London Stadium next season as he now joins West Ham in a forgotten parting gift from Steidten.
Potter and Macaulay are specifically targeting younger talent to drive down the age of West Ham’s squad – the oldest in the Premier League.
Kante, who has a similar playing style and strengths to Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana, is a good way to start.
And with Potter reportedly planning to offload so many players – and completely revamp his midfield – the French starlet may find himself part of the first team squad from the off.
First Moyes then Steidten promised to emulate the famous Red Bull model at West Ham.
The Kante deal is very much in line with that approach and there’s no lack of irony that he’s coming from a Red Bull club.
West Ham fans will be fascinated to see how he looks in pre-season.
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