West Ham will be looking to bring in some younger talent this summer to a squad that was the oldest on average in the league last season.
The Hammers signed 19-year-old Celtic striker Daniel Cummings on Tuesday, which made him the club’s first official signing of the window, excluding the permanent transfer of Jean-Clair Todibo.
While the forward has plenty of potential after a season in which he scored 29 goals in 37 games for Celtic’s B team, it feels unlikely that we will see him feature much in the first-team immediately.
A target of Graham Potter’s that could bring youth to the squad and may feature for the first-team, however, is Slavia Prague left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.
The 20-year-old scored seven goals in 24 league games for the Czech side last season, predominantly acting as a wing-back, which would suit Potter’s preferred five-at-the-back formation.
Slavia Prague are reluctant to let the Senegal international go and value the player at £20million, a sum that West Ham may need to raise funds for before exploring due to profit and sustainability rules.
The Guardian reports that Emerson Palmieri is likely to leave this summer, meaning this is a move that has a greater chance of happening should the Italian leave.
West Ham keen on Liverpool prospect
West Ham are also interested in Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton, who recently won the U21 Euros with England.
The 22-year-old featured just five times for the Reds last season, including a substitute appearance in the Champions League group stage.
It is understood, however, that Braga, Club Brugge and Ajax are all also keen on signing the midfielder, meaning West Ham will have their work cut out if they want to bring the player in.
With Graham Potter’s midfield looking particularly thin at the moment, Morton would certainly be a sensible bit of business for the Hammers that would freshen things up in the middle of the park.