West Ham enter talks to sign two elite young talents as Kyle Macaulay starts midfield revolution

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West Ham’s head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay has launched his first bids to rebuild the squad around exciting young talent according to new reports.

Midfield has been earmarked as a major issue in need of urgent attention at West Ham this summer.

Graham Potter knows he must overhaul the oldest squad in the Premier League.

And it is in midfield and up front that West Ham are most lacking and lethargic.

When Potter arrived the club brought in Kyle Macaulay from Chelsea, paying £1.2m for his services.

Potter has worked with top talent spotter Macaulay at each of his four clubs before his arrival at West Ham.

The average age of West Ham’s creaking squad is nearly 29.

Last week Potter dropped the bombshell that he wants to trim West Ham’s squad down.

Macaulay gets down to business on West Ham rebuild

The 49-year-old feels a smaller, tighter-knit squad – with game time more readily available – will help team spirit.

Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez have all been linked with moves away while loanee Carlos Soler will not be retained.

Many West Ham fans feel James Ward-Prowse should be sold too after a string of underwhelming performances since he returned from a loan spell at Forest.

Then of course there is Lucas Paqueta, who will be sold if he beats spot-fixing charges against him.

With that as background, it is perfectly clear midfield regeneration is a top priority.

Now there’s been a major development on that front for the Hammers.

Because West Ham have entered talks to sign two elite young talents as Macaulay starts a midfield revolution.

Maxwel Cornet enjoyed a promising start to a spell on loan at Genoa with two goals and an assist in his first two starts.

The historic Italian side’s manager is Premier League legend Patrick Vieira.

Although injury has limited Cornet since, Vieira likes the Hammers misfit and is said to want to make his move permanent this summer.

Macaulay arrived at the London Stadium with a dossier of players he has identified for Potter’s rebuild.

And West Ham have ‘started negotiations’ for one of them – tough-tackling, all-action Danish midfielder Morten Frendrup.

The beauty of 24-year-old Frendrup where West Ham are concerned is the fact he can play full-back as well as defensive midfield.

The Denmark international has been a near ever-present for Genoa over the last three seasons.

West Ham enter talks to sign two elite young talents

And according to statistics, he is their fourth best performing player this season.

Frendrup is famed for his boundless energy and determination to win the ball back – something West Ham are sorely lacking.

In fact he has the most recoveries of any outfield player in Serie A with a whopping 175.

Ben Jacobs of Give Me Sport claims West Ham have started negotiations over a move – which will undoubtedly involve Cornet as a makeweight.

Other Serie A clubs and Brentford are said to be interested in the star dubbed ‘the complete midfielder’ but West Ham will hope the Cornet factor will be the ace card.

West Ham ‘start negotiations’ for midfield revolution

Macaulay and Potter are planning to partner Frendrup in midfield with another player whose own club describes him as a complete all-rounder.

Red Bull Salzburg star Mamady Diambou is a versatile 22-year-old Malian midfielder who, like Frendrup, is known for his battling qualities.

Diambou is comfortable on the ball and has the versatility to play multiple roles.

Diambou can operate as a defensive midfielder and even as a winger. Like Declan Rice he can operate as an eight or a six – giving Potter so many options.

According to Africa Foot, West Ham have already started negotiations with RB Salzburg and are said to be confident of signing him for a bargain £5m.

The report states the Hammers ‘want to do everything possible’ to sign Diambou.

It is claimed West Ham liked the player already last summer and Macaulay appears to have reinforced that with talks already underway ahead of the transfer window opening in just over three weeks.

While the Premier League will be a significant step up from the Austrian league, the Red Bull system is renowned for producing top young talent.

West Ham fans will undoubtedly be enthused by this news.

Not only because of the profile of player being targeted but the fact the Hammers actually appear to be getting their ducks in a row ahead of June 1st.

Better still both are realistic targets who will be attainable with the finances West Ham will have available pending a few outgoings.