West Ham United are preparing to usher in a new era after replacing David Moyes with former Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui.
The 57-year-old Spaniard is no stranger to the Premier League after a short but successful spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the atmosphere is very different at the London Stadium as the club look to disrupt the Premier League's previously established 'big six'. '.
The Hammers have finished 6th, 7th and 9th in the past three seasons in the Premier League, despite the need for major surgery on a team that has struggled under Moyes.
The move has also weakened West Ham's arsenal – Angelo Ogbonna, Ben Johnson, Divin Mubama and Said Benrahma among others to leave – and Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten have a lot of work to do in the market of exchange.
Here are the five players 90 min he thinks the club should definitely think about it this summer.
Club: Manchester United
Position: Right back
With Ben Johnson's move to Ipswich Town confirmed, West Ham are tasked with finding a new defender this summer to provide competition for the ever-reliable Vladimir Coufal.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has stood out as a special addition to the squad, despite playing 22 Premier League games for Manchester United last season due to injury.
Strong on the ball, the 24-year-old is very adept at defending one-on-one and is versatile enough to play at right-back – if West Ham push back – and on the left if push comes to shove. to push.
Wan-Bissaka has one year left on his United contract and a deal could be done as the club look to usher in a new era backed by INEOS. There's also market value savings for the Red Devils to consider – the former Palace man won't be leaving on the cheap next year.
Club: Hull City
Position: Centre-back
Wolves captain Max Kilman is the player most heavily linked with West Ham, but attention should be on a rising star in the Championship: Hull City's Jacob Greaves.
The 23-year-old has progressed through the club's academy and has been in the first team for four seasons. With a loan spell at Cheltenham Town under his belt too, surprisingly he has made more than 200 appearances in all competitions.
Standing at 6'4, he has garnered a lot of interest in the Premier League due to his success rate in aerial contests and his consistency in 2023/24 was rewarded with a place in the Championship Team of the Season.
Club: Olympique Lyonnais
Position: Midfielder
A player compared to Dimitri Payet? That's a 'yes please' for many West Ham fans.
Playmaker Rayan Cherki may not yet be on Payet's level but the sky is the limit for the player who is known to be on the radar of Paris Saint-Germain and Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund.
With one year left on Cherki's contract, there is an opportunity for Steidten to strengthen and use the others still in talks to get West Ham an advantage. It won't happen but it won't happen.
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Forward
In every international competition, there is always one person whose performance level takes the imagination.
And while Niclas Fullkrug may not be the smooth, graceful striker West Ham fans would want to sign, he could be the perfect fit to replace the aging Michail Antonio.
Fullkrug scored some really important goals for Germany at Euro 2024 – his strike against Scotland on the opening night was a superb one – and his ability to play all over the place seems to be a good fit for what works at West Ham.
Strong, good in the air and on the mend, the Hammers could do a lot worse than test the resolve of current employers Borussia Dortmund.
Club: AS Roma
Position: Forward
Although not as strong as Fullkrug, Tammy Abraham could have a similar impact if he arrives at West Ham.
Flanked by Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus – both of whom have excellent crossing skills and a penchant for attacking the ball – Abraham can thrive in the service he receives, increasing West Ham's strength on the ground and in the air.
The 26-year-old has admittedly spent the better part of the year sidelined for AS Roma with a serious knee injury but he is capable of scoring goals in the Premier League. His time at Chelsea ended prematurely, though that may have been more due to turmoil at the club than any individual failure.
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