West Ham are preparing for a big squad overhaul this summer.
Graham Potter will likely already know which players he wants to keep and which he’s not keen on, while his recruitment team will have already been scouring the market for players that fit Potter’s style in key areas.
As things stand, five first-team players are expected to leave at the end of their contracts this summer – Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Cresswell, Danny Ings, Michail Antonio and Vladimir Coufal – while it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Carlos Soler and Evan Ferguson will see their loan spells made permanent.
Indeed, one or more of those players nearing the end of their current terms may be offered extensions, but it’s currently likely that the majority of them will be free to find new clubs by July.
One that looks almost guaranteed to be leaving the club is Coufal, who has been very vocal about his West Ham future in the last few days. He has refused to rule out a move to Everton and hinted that it’s unlikely he will remain in east London.
His exit would leave Potter with Aaron Wan-Bissaka as his only option at right-back, so it’s an area of the squad he will need to recruit in before the start of next season.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Fortunately, it appears the club is already on the case as The Guardian has reported an interest in FC Nordsjaelland defender, Lucas Hogsberg.
The 18-year-old is enjoying a breakthrough season in Denmark and despite spending much of his time as a centre-back, he playing much of his youth football as a right-back.
It could be that Potter is looking to add youth and potential to a squad that is currently one of the oldest in the Premier League. Wan-Bissaka would likely remain as the first-choice right-back but adding a young and promising Hogsberg to the squad, especially given his versatility, means there is a ready and waiting understudy raring to go when needed.
It is not yet known how much the teenager would cost or whether the club is lining up an official approach for his services, but it’s an indication of what the club’s strategy might be in the transfer window this summer, with youth and potential seemingly high on the priority list.