When the last summer transfer window was closed, West Ham -fans were filled with optimism after more than £ 100 million and a new, highly regarded manager in Julen Lopetegui who supervised them.
That optimism lasted all five months because the Spaniard was fired on January 8 with only seven victories from 22 games in all competitions, and some of the major cash arrangements of the Hamers who have difficulty making an impact.
This summer, after 14th in the Premier League, West Ham has to go again and ensure that the players they bring to manager Graham Potter's taste are.
So what are they going to do? Who is on the road? And on the way out? Our West Ham expert James Sharpe answers all important questions prior to a crucial summer.
What does West Ham need this summer?
A complete overhaul. The team of West Ham is completely unbalanced, too old and full of players who cannot walk for 90 minutes.
Potter has complained that his team cannot dominate matches with attacking football and much of them is due to a lack of legs in midfield.
West Ham sold Declan Rice for £ 105 million two summers ago and has to show little for it. A midfielder (or two) who can wear the ball and dominate games is a must. Not that they get cheap, watch …
Potter also needs some new strikers. The West Ham fans may love their new cult hero Niclas Fullkrug after called the team 's *** e', but he is not what Potter needs the line: an injury-sensitive 32-year-old who only produced one sprint against Brighton in 80 minutes.
Potter sees him much more as an impact under a late barrage of crosses than someone who should start. Potter's reunion with Evan Ferguson on loan from the Seagulls was also very disappointing, Danny ings leaves and it is unclear whether Mikhail Antonio will ever be able to play at the highest level after his car accident.
Potter has spent a lot of his time playing Wingers or attacking midfielders at the front in Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus or Lucas Paqueta.
He could also do with a real left wing player. Only the injured Crysencio Summerville prefers that side under his team and he only scored once in the 22 games after participating in Leeds for £ 25 million.
Potter probably also needs a new keeper, in which veteran Lukasz Fabianski leaves and questions about whether A) can perform 34-year-old Wes Frationingham as a no. 2 and B) Alphonse Areola is good enough as a Nr.
A middle behind comfortable with the ball at his feet would be welcome. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a revelation immediately, but his deputy Vladimir Coufal also leaves.
Not much to find out.
How big is their budget and is PSR a great concern?
That's the thing. A lot has to be done, but without much money to do it. West Ham has spent the best part of £ 250 million over the past two years on players, all signed by different managers or technical directors, and still have a team in disorder.
Getting the wages of non-contracting players such as Fabianski, Coufal, Cresswell and especially the books will help, but not enough.
“We have to sell before we buy under PSR rules,” a Senior West Ham -Bron told Mail Sport about the club's finances.
They are also not helped by the ridiculous situation Potter is in over-defender Jean-Clair Todibo, who is now obliged to buy the club for £ 36 million after his loan period from Nice, even though he is no longer in the club under a previous manager and by a technical director in Tim. He is expected to be made available for sale as soon as the deal continues.
Their budget will therefore be defined by who they can sell and how much money they get for them. The most sellable property is probably Kudus, which has a release clause of £ 85 million, but it is unlikely that it will take such compensation after a season in which he has scored only five goals in 32 Premier League matches.
In who are they interested?
Potter insists that he will be heavily involved in the recruitment process this summer. His head of recruitment Kyle Macauley already puts together a long list of potential goals.
The Hammers have long admired Lille Jonathan David and have had conversations with his representatives earlier this year, but David is expected to play European football and is supposed to be interested in the Serie A champions Napoli.
West Ham looked at a movement for his Lille teammate and English midfielder Angel Gomes, but he praises himself from the budgets of many clubs and is interested in Spurs.
This has led to West Ham instead a movement aimed at the 24-year-old Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika, who has impressed the Belgian competitions this season.
Liverpool -goalkeeper Cooimhin Kelleher is interesting, but will probably have several lovers this summer with a number of clubs such as Manchester United and Aston Villa who are probably on the market for a new keeper.
Brondby striker Mathias Kvistgaarden, 23, who scored 23 goals this period in Denmark and the 21-year-old RB Salzburg frontman Karim Konate is both on the radar of West Ham for possible attacking options.
Lugano -defender Albian Hajdari and Southampton -midfielder Shea Charles are also on their radar.
With uncertainty about potential sales and transfer costs, they also look at the collection of free agents if they can. Young striker Daniel Cummings will participate in Celtic after signing a pre-contract agreement.
West Ham is interested in Burnley couple Josh Brownhill and CJ Egan-Vriley, who both no longer have a contract and yet sign new deals.
Midfielder Brownhill has a lot of Premier League experience, while the 22-year-old Egan-Vriley is enormously versatile and in the middle of the back, the back or if a defensive midfielder can play-all positions that Potter must strengthen it is believed that it also has an offer of Strasbourg.
Which young players could break out next season to fill gaps in the team of the first team?
Potter wants to lower the age of what one of the oldest squadrons was in the division and a way he will do that is by bringing more youth players.
He has already spoken with midfielders Freddie Potts and George Earthy, who both enjoyed impressive loan spells in Portsmouth and Bristol City, to tell them that he will see them as part of his plans next season.
“I met them both, they come to the team and offer competition, energy and enthusiasm,” said Potter. “I think we want that, we need that. I would like to give those boys opportunities because they had a good basis here in the academy. '
Earthy, an attacking midfielder, was called the young player of the season of Bristol City after he helped them in the play-offs.
Meanwhile, Potts played a key role in keeping Portsmouth in the championship. No regular Portsmouth starter played so many progressive steps per competition match as Potts, an important area where West Ham has struggled this season. He recently signed a long -term contract.
Young defender Kaelan Casey could be someone who makes the step up. The 20-year-old was on the bench for Premier League matches earlier in the season, but under Potter is aimed at the captain of the club under 21 years old.
There was worried under the academy that he could have an adverse effect on his development from age group competitions to sit on the bank.
On-Loan striker Callum Marshall scored 10 goals for League One Side Huddersfield and their player of the season was declared, but Potter may have the feeling that he needs a different loan saying, this time in the championship, before giving him a shot in the first team. That is, you think, the most likely scenario.
Which players are ready to leave?
Potter believes that he has too many players. He does not want a 25-man team consisting of 25 senior players. “We don't have too much money on the field,” he said recently. So there are a few that he would like to see, make way.
Coufal, Fabianski, Cresswell and ings all leave at the end of their contracts. The future of Antonio is unclear because his deal is also ending this summer, but the club is happy to give him more time to regain his fitness and to assess his options.
Carlos Soler, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and Ferguson return to their clubs.
Emerson, Edson Alvarez, Konstantinos Mavropanos could all come if the interest occurs. In reality, however, there are hardly any players in the team that Potter would not be open to selling when the right bid came in.
Kudus is the only player they hope to get big money.
One star name that doesn't go anywhere (unless a really ridiculous approach comes in) is Bowen. Mail Sport was told that despite the struggles of West Ham this season, and Bowen's recent omission of the English team, the Hammers captain will remain happy at the club and wants to push on next season.
Whether Paqueta will ever play for the club again is still to be seen. The Brazilian stood away from his teammates while he applauded the traveling West Ham fans after the last game in Ipswich.
Paqueta, who broke in tears after he was booked against Tottenham, has difficulty tackling the waiting to find the verdict of his current spot-fixing test that could see him banished for life.