West Ham United have commenced their search for the players who could bring them straight back to the Premier League, starting with a clinical goalscorer.
West Ham eye proven Championship star
The Hammers have got it all to do this summer. Before they can even take real steps towards recruitment, they've got to raise £150m in player sales. This means potential moves are on the cards for Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, Mateus Fernandes and potentially others in the coming months.
It could leave West Ham stripped of any talent - handing them an uphill climb back to the top-flight as if relegation didn't seem disastrous enough already.
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The Black Cats are taking full advantage of their new European status.
The aim on the recruitment side of things should be proven Championship players and that's why one player makes sense, in particular.
According to Italian journalist Marco Mampreso, as relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham are seriously plotting a move to sign Zan Vipotnik from Swansea City as their marquee attacking arrival this summer.
The forward was one of the standout stars in the Championship this season, scoring 23 league goals to take home the Golden Boot. To say that he's earned a big move would be an understatement.
Whether West Ham can jump ahead of the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion in pursuit of the forward is the big question. Had they not been relegated, then that task would have been a lot easier.
Nuno Espirito Santo simply needs to sell the idea that his side will be back in the Premier League next season, handing Vipotnik a route to the top flight spot that he's earned over the last 12 months.
Why West Ham should go all out for Vipotnik
Ask any promoted side and they'll tell you how important a consistent goalscorer is. Ollie McBurnie is a prime example for Hull City. He just fired them to victory at Wembley. Coventry City, meanwhile, will happily name-drop Haji Wright, whilst Jack Clarke proved to be Ipswich Town's talisman.
zan-vipotnik-swansea
Now, Vipotnik can take up the same role at West Ham to fire them back to the Premier League in the space of just one season. At just 24 years old, he'd then have the full potential to take England's top tier by storm.
"Like I said after the game, he's special, he finds ways to score, that's another way, and he did that really well. Really pleased for him, for us, it was a really nice one to see it as well from the bench, so that's something to add and I hope he can keep going." (Swansea manager, Vitor Matos)
If the Hammers have got no choice but to cash in on the likes of Summerville and Bowen, then players like Vipotnik will prove to be their most important targets this summer and they must go all out for his signature.
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Nuno is now set to stay.