West Ham Transfer News: 5 Areas Hammers Have to Strengthen During the Summer

West Ham United has not had the best season. They’ve finished ninth in the Premier League table, meaning they won’t qualify for European football next season.

The sad part is that they could be (and should be) doing better. After all, this season, they have lost against top clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

Unfortunately, the Hammers squad has a few glaring holes that have often let them down in several matches. 

Therefore, if the club hopes for a better 2024/25 season, it needs to strengthen the following five areas in the summer transfer window.

A Striker

The Hammers attacking duo, Danny Ings and Michail Antonio, have not had the best season, so replacing them might be a good idea.

Antonio, who is 34 years old, has suffered several injury problems and has only managed six Premier League goals this season. 

Danny Ings, on the other hand, has had a poor couple of seasons, only scoring one EPL goal in 2023/24 and two in the 2022/23 season.

The Hammers’ current attacking stats are also not very impressive. Their shooting accuracy is 34%, with 144 out of 423 shots on target. 

Their shot conversion rate of 10.0% is also average; therefore, they need a striker (or two) to put more goals in the net.

The good news is that West Ham is already linked to several strikers who could bolster the club’s attacking line. 

Dominic Solanke, currently in Bournemouth is one of the great PL strikers the Hammers may consider signing to improve their goal-scoring capacity
Dominic Solanke, currently in Bournemouth is one of the great PL strikers the Hammers may consider signing to improve their goal-scoring capacity. Image: Instagram/domsolanke

Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke is one such option who could replace Antonio, and he is already having an amazing season with 18 PL goals.

CHECK OUT:  20 best football clubs in Africa ranked in 2025

According to GiveMeSport, the Hammers were also looking to bring in RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner (currently on loan at Tottenham) in the January transfer window. 

However, the deal did not materialize, but they could try again in the summer.

Other potential signings to strengthen the club’s attack include Brentford’s Ivan Toney, Panathinaikos FC’s Fotis Ioannidis, and Toulouse’s Thijs Dallinga.

A Goalkeeper

West Ham needs to bolster the goalkeeper position in the upcoming transfer window. So far, the club has only won 13 matches, lost 13, and drawn 10.

The Hammers goalkeepers, Łukasz Fabiański and Alphonse Areola, have also not performed admirably, managing only a combined five clean sheets in the Premier League.

At 39, Fabiański is not young anymore, and his time at the club is nearing an end, while Areola recently hit 31. 

Therefore, this might be the perfect time for the Hammers to bring in another goalkeeper to offer them more options between the sticks.

One of the top goalkeeper options West Ham can sign is Aaron Ramsdale

The club may consider signing Aaron Ramsdale, who is rumored to leave Arsenal in the summer  to bolster the goalkeeper position
The club may consider signing Aaron Ramsdale, who is rumoured to leave Arsenal in the summer to bolster the goalkeeper position. Image: Instagram/aaronramsdale

The Arsenal keeper has fallen out of favour with Mikel Arteta since the arrival of David Raya, and there are rumours that he might leave the club come summer.

Another option is former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea. Arguably one of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history. 

He has been a free agent since leaving United last summer and is thus up for grabs.

CHECK OUT:  10 best African national football teams of all time

A Center-Back

West Ham’s backline needs an urgent overhaul, and the club must bring in a centre-back (or two) if it hopes to improve next season.

In the current Premier League campaign, the Hammers have conceded 70 goals; only the bottom three clubs have conceded more goals. 

They have also suffered some shocking defeats, such as 6-0 to Arsenal, 5-2 to Crystal Palace, 5-0 to Fulham, and 4-1 to Aston Villa.

Two current Hammers centre-backs, Angelo Ogbonna and Nayef Aguerd, have been abysmal this season. 

They might also leave the club in the summer; Ogbonna, who is 36, is out of contract at the end of the season, and Aguerd has attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League.

The hammers can bring in several players to replace the two centre-backs. One of the top options is Wolves’ captain Max Kilman, who has been impressive this season, with the second-best aerial duel success in the Premier League.

According to The Guardian, West Ham is also considering other centre-back options, such as Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall, Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, and Peterborough’s Ronnie Edwards.

The Hammers might also try to make a move for Man United’s centre-back Harry Maguire after their attempts to sign him last summer flopped.

A Left Winger

The Hammers have been eyeing Filip Kostic, currently in Juventus to fill the left-wing position
The Hammers have been eyeing Filip Kostic, currently in Juventus to fill the left-wing position. Image: Instagram/filipkostic

West Ham wanted to add a left-winger to their squad in January but could not meet the deadline. Therefore, they will be able to bring in a much-needed left-winger in the summer.

CHECK OUT:  Top 10 football clubs with the most fans in South Africa

Currently, the club has been without a main left winger. Therefore, they often employ Lucas Paquetá (an attacking midfielder), Mohamed Kudus (a right-winger), or Maxwell Cornet (a full-back) to fill in the position.

Bringing in a fast-paced left-winger will allow these players to play in their preferred position. 

A good left-winger who can link up with Jarrod Bowen on the right and a quality central striker can also shore up the Hammers’ attacking options, making them a dangerous opponent.

West Ham should also bring in a left-winger who can put quality passes into the box. This season, they are the second-best at scoring from headers, but their crossing accuracy is very poor at only 24%.

Several players can fill the left-wing position for the Hammers. An excellent option is Juventus’ Filip Kostic, who has been the club’s target for a while now.

Another option is Jesse Clark, who plays for Championship club Sunderland. The Hammers were reportedly eyeing him during the January transfer window but were unable to sign him.

Other left wings West Ham can target include Ajax’s Steven Charles Bergwijn, Vitoria SC’s Jota Silva, and Corinthians’ Wesley Gassova, who the Hammers are already scouting.

A Creative Midfielder

The midfield is another area that has let West Ham down several times this season and needs bolstering in the summer transfer window.

Fans have complained about poor performance in the middle of the park, with issues like lack of passion, positional mismatch, and creativity. 

In addition, the Hammers rank 14th in creating big chances in the Premier League this season.

West Ham will also need to strengthen their midfield should some of their stars leave in the summer. 

Kalvin Philips’s loan deal expires at the end of the season, while Manchester City is targeting attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta.

The Hammers already have eyes on some excellent options, one of them being Torino’s Samuel Ricci. 

The club can also land the signature of Arthur Melo, a Juventus midfielder currently on loan at Fiorentina.

Tags

Leave a Comment