A big Sky Sports transfer list feature has linked West Ham with four summer deals and three of them have one thing in common.
This summer West Ham face a real crossroads as a club if they want to continue the brilliant progression of the last two years under David Moyes.
The Hammers have the second oldest squad in the Premier League and a host of players out of contract, retiring or set to leave as they are not part of Moyes’s plans.
Following the club’s failure to sign any of the players Moyes wanted in the January window, several signings are needed in key areas such as up front, central defence and at left-back before the Hammers even begin to address the big turnover that is on the horizon.
It means West Ham will require as many as 10-12 players in what Moyes himself has stated will be a big rebuild this summer (The Evening Standard).
In an interview with Alan Shearer for The Athletic this week Moyes also made his feelings perfectly clear to the West Ham owners over his summer transfer demands.
The Scot says West Ham have to show they can go out and get the right players, not only to progress, but just to remain where they are in and around the European mix in the fiercely competitive Premier League.
Now a big new Sky Sports transfer list is linking West Ham with four summer deals and three have one thing in common.
The report rather inevitably names Hammers talisman Declan Rice among 50 players who could move clubs before next season.
But three are linked with moves to West Ham and they have one thing in common – they’re all free transfers.
Sky Sports claims West Ham want to bring Jesse Lingard, James Tarkowski and Sam Johnstone to east London.
Clearly getting those three players for no transfer fee outlay would be outstanding business.
It would do little to improve the average age of the West Ham squad as all three are 29-years-old.
And Moyes has made it clear he wants to build his team around young, hungry players.
But it will be vital to replace some of the experience that the Scot will be losing too.
West Ham’s summer rebuild is certainly not going to be cheap if the Hammers boss goes after the players HE wants.
So there will need to be some clever business and undoubtedly the odd free transfer here and there given the large number of players required.