If there is one thing West Ham boss Graham Potter is renowned for it is building his teams around young talent.
That is what made Graham Potter such a good fit for West Ham.
Because the Hammers are desperate to drive down the average age of the Premier League’s oldest squad.
It will mean plenty of work needs to be done in the summer window of course.
With £100m of player sales planned, Potter will be hoping sufficient funds are raised to pay for his rebuild.
New head of recruitment Kyle Macauley has been busy identifying young targets for the summer window.
West Ham have Premier League’s oldest squad
There is absolutely no doubt West Ham’s squad composition and age has showed in the club’s dismal season.
The Hammers are slow, immobile and lacking in athleticism and dynamism in too many areas.
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It is one of the big reasons Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jarrod Bowen have stood out as shining lights.
The difference is most other Premier League clubs are packed full of players with that kind of pace, energy, enthusiasm and talent.
Just take a look at a Bournemouth or Brighton game.
Even Crystal Palace and Fulham put West Ham to shame in that regard.
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
Hammers have manager who builds teams around youth
The Premier League is not a place for teams full of ageing players anymore.
Clubs can get away with – and need – the odd experienced head of course.
But West Ham have far too many in all areas of the pitch.
Hammers fans have been enthused by the appointment of Potter for that reason.
He has not disappointed, putting the likes of Academy graduate Ollie Scarles in the side and setting up the team to allow Wan-Bissaka to shine at his swashbuckling best.
Potter and Macauley’s first signing was 20-year-old striker Evan Ferguson.
Reported transfer targets have been encouraging too. Young powerful 20-year-old Dutch midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi and Celtic’s 18-year-old striker Daniel Cummings have been lined up.
West Ham to make decision on deals for ageing quartet
But if West Ham hand deals to a quartet with a combined age of 146, then trouble is brewing.
The Hammers have been at pains to let everyone know financial difficulties are on the way.
West Ham sources have revealed £80m losses are looming.
The club have even gone as far as stating ‘our finances are a mess’.
PSR is biting in east London, hence the need to sell in order to be able to buy.
Many feel that could be a good thing in the long run.
Because it may finally force West Ham to be more shrewd and diligent in sales and recruitment.
Word will soon start leaking from the club about the players Potter wants to keep for next season.
West Ham quartet from left to right, Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Lukasz Fabianski and Michail Antonio.
West Ham quartet from left to right, Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Lukasz Fabianski and Michail Antonio. Credit: Getty Images/Ed Sykes/Charlotte Wilson/Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Offside/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Crystal Pix/MB Media/
Things must be bad if stars with combined age of 146 get deals
He may want one or two more senior players in the mix for experience.
But he has already made it abundantly clear he wants the side to be youthful and exciting to connect with the fanbase.
Decisions will be made in the next two months on four of West Ham’s oldest players.
In many ways it offers the Hammers the perfect fork in the road to say out with the old and in with the new.
Big decisions need to be made on Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell, who both turn 36 next season, Lukasz Fabianski, who turns 41 next term and Vladimir Coufal, who will be 33.
None will – or should – be starting players next season.
Each has their own West Ham legacy and will always be loved and respected by the fans.
West Ham approach fork in the road
There may indeed be a valid case to keep one or two.
Each has had games where they have shone this season. There have also been struggles.
West Ham need to take the emotion out of things and be ruthless.
If all four are given new contracts then West Ham’s financial issues are clearly worse than any of us realise.
The Hammers are the sixth biggest spenders in the Premier League since 2022.
Much will depend on how confident West Ham are of getting value in sales.
Because decisions will have to be made on Antonio, Cresswell, Fabianski and Coufal before then.
Potter will have a clear idea of what he wants to do.
Whether he can see that vision through with the young, vibrant squad he desires remains to be seen.
The renewal of contracts for four players with a combined age of 146 will say a lot about what is to come this summer.