“It will be an interesting, exciting summer.” Those were the words of West Ham boss Graham Potter at the end of last season when thoughts of a gloomy league campaign changed at a time for much needed change.
One of the oldest squadrons in the division, one that needed a complete overhaul and with pace, goal and a feeling of excitement that has long been missing.
Only a month remains from the transfer window and the planned summer overhaul of Potter is still, really, to kick in acceleration and threatens to keep sputtering until the season starts.
Our West Ham expert James Sharpe answers the most important questions about what still needs to be done and what deals can happen before the window closes.
What has West Ham done so far?
Not much, nowhere close enough. So far, West Ham has only signed two players in the first team this summer, Senegal had El Hadji Malick Diouf back for around £ 19 million and former Tottenham and England full of Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer after his contract had passed in Southampton.
Well, three If you have the center of Jean-Clair Todibos loan, signing Nice, is automatically made permanent for no less than £ 35 million thanks to the survival of West Ham. But Todibo is a player who is brought to the club by a technical director in Tim, for a manager in Yulen Lopetegui, who will not stay in the club. If that is not well spent …
Diouf's arrival, however, gave a clearer example of the type of player Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macauley Targeting: Young, bursting with talent but with space to grow and develop with tons of resale value.
At the age of only 20, he helps to lower the age of one of the oldest squadrons in the Premier League and was immediately impressed when he came from the bank in West Ham's pre-season against Grasshoppers in Zurich, the pace and the wish to get the line and cross in the box as large German Niclas Fullug.
“I thought he was doing well, you can see what he brings to the team, attacked the back line a lot, got some good crossing positions, looked dangerous, played with enthusiasm,” said Potter after the game Grasshoppers.
What do they have to do?
Actually, really. The top priority is a new keeper, not only because veteran Lukasz Fabianski left at the end of the season, but also the growing questions about the capacity of the current No. 1 Alphonse Areola.
That again came to a head in the defeat of West Ham for United when he first dropped a loop ball and then brought Ayden Heaven down to give a penalty away, before he later passed it directly to Kobbie Mainoo and then still stam like Bruno Fernandes' long-ritchot for him.
Central midfielders are also high on the shopping list. After wasting the £ 100 million process of selling Declan Rice to Arsenal two years ago, Potter is with such small legs and dynamics in the middle of the park that he admitted at the end of last season that West Ham was far from being able to 'dominate matches by attacking football'.
Potter also wants another wing player, especially with Crysencio Summerville, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury and Mohammed Kudus who leaves for Spurs, although he used a wingback system during the before and at the end of last season.
At the beginning of the summer it was felt, in which Danny ings was released, Evan Ferguson went back to Brighton and Mikhail Antonio still recovered after his car -accident and still to sign a new deal, that a striker was needed, but as the summer progressed, the club sources seemed less important.
If your only attacker of the first team is a full -bridge, an injury -red -reducing frontman in the thirty that Potter believes is most suitable as an impact under the bank, you might think it is a position that should be strengthened. Fullkrug has returned for pre-season lean and fitter and Potter said this week that he hopes that the German can have a 'big impact'.
“He came back, did a lot of work, physically he is in a really good position and played a few games in the preseason, which is the opposite of what we inherited in January when it stopped and he was injured in the first game,” Potter NBC told United prior to the defeat. “So we hope he can have a big impact for us.”
Potter also thinks that Jarrod Bowen is more suitable than the middle, although he would always be used through the middle in the current wing-back system.
Who are they aimed at?
Leicester -goalkeeper Mads Hermansen stays high on their list, just like Parma and Japan International Zion Suzuki.
The foxes have just signed veteran keeper Asmir Begovic for a one-year-old deal, mening with his former QPR boss Marti Cifuentes, but it is not expected to mean a clear output for Hermanen or colleague Leicester Stopper Jakub Stolarcyzk.
Hermansen was fed in Brondby by the Keepoerscoach Casper Ankergren of New West Ham, so there is a feeling that the DANE would prove a natural fit if a deal could be agreed. The foxes are brace for an approach and know that they have to sell players if they want to do a lot of business themselves, with Hermansen one of their most sellable assets.
Parma's 22-year-old Suzuki is now seen as one of the best young keepers in the world and would again check the 'young, talented, repairable' of the Potter and Macauley Bingo card. His signing would also open marketing opportunities on the Asian market, and Manchester United is also connected to him in the past.
There were reports that West Ham was also focused on Michael Cooper from Sheffield United, but senior club sources played the speculation. It is believed that the club is interested in a keeper on the other side of the Steel City in Pierce Charles on Wednesday.
The controversial signing of Free Agent Callum Wilson (another injury -sensitive striker in his 1930s, you say?) Stays on the table. Senior sources recently suggested that the arrival of the former Newcastle frontman was a foregone conclusion, but there is still an announcement. It is believed that all parties wait until later in the window.
It is clear that Wilson is not Potter -white, but it is clear that the manager is satisfied not to accept his superiors about a signing that would come to a low basic salary, mainly based on performances and goals.
In midfield, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea has long been interesting, but, as with most goals from West Ham, a lot will depend on the asking price and wages. Fulham is also interested.
That is a bit stopped about Liverpool-attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott and, to a lesser extent, his teammate Tyler Morton. “We would love them, but unfortunately far away,” a club source recently told Mail Sport. Liverpool wants at least £ 40 million for Elliott while the hammers are confronted with competition from Lyon for Morton.
Werder Bremen, who is midfielder Romano Schmid attacks, is a potential target, just like Southampton duo Shea Charles and Matheus Fernandes, the latter of which attracts a lot of interest from around the Premier League.
Is there enough budget and PSR headroom left to meet their needs?
Insiders from West Ham spent the beginning of the window with the emphasis they had to sell before they could buy because of PSR -Beezoren. This is a club that has spent the best part of £ 250 million in the past two years.
The departure from £ 55 million from Kudus to Spurs helped to free up funds that caused the move for Diouf and strengthened their plans for the future. But if they want to chase Elliott and Fernandes, they will probably have to get more players out.
Whether that is due to PSR -care, cash flow problems or owners who do not want to put their hands in their own pockets, still to be seen, but it is likely that West Ham wants to sell again before she lands larger goals.
And who goes on the way to the exit?
All eyes on Luke Paqueta. The Brazilian is expected to discover the long-awaited judgment of his spot-fixing process in the coming days and if, as sources suggest, he is released from misconduct, the club would like to cash in.
Two years ago, the club missed a payment day of £ 85 million when Mail Sport broke the news that Paqueta was investigated for four suspicious yellow cards and his move to Man City collapsed. West Ham believes they can cash again, although how much they can get for him, is a debate.
An emotional return to Club Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro is a strong opportunity and the Brazilian giants have the impression that West Ham would let him go for an offer in the region of about £ 30 million – about £ 10 million more than the current record sign drawing of the club.
“He is not our player, he belongs to a Premier League club, one of the best in Europe,” said Flamengo boss Filipe Luis when he interviewed a movement for the 27-year-old, who came to the club like a 10-year-old and 12 years later for AC Milan.
'We respect that. Paqueta has a great history here, the fans love him. He could play for every team. '
However, an insider in West Ham told E -mail sport that the club believes that they will “get much more than £ 25 million or we would keep it.”
In response to the story of Mail Sport that Paqueta could leave for a Cut-Price deal, a Senior Club source told West Ham fansite Claret & Hugh: 'We would not sell him for that. We see him as a player of £ 60-70 million, or we keep him. 'The proof will, as always, be in the pudding.
West Ham also wants other, less lucrative members of their team, such as Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez and Nayef Aguerd, to be towed, but still have to receive interest or acceptable offers.