FIVE ‘young and promising’ players West Ham should sign this summer

Let me start this column with a negative, we’ll get it out of the way early.

I’m not going to tell you that West Ham are in the market for Marco Reus, or even Danny Ings. These young talents are still, at this point in time, out of our league.

With the nucleus of the team contracted past the move to the Olympic stadium, I would view this summer as a stabilisation period for West Ham. A time to take stock, invest in the future and ensure that the talent they do have stays in claret and blue.

With this I would congratulate the board for the recent contract extensions for Mark Noble and James Tomkins, as well as the very recent contract for Winston Reid, proving that it is possible to keep your best players from joining the benchwarmers at Arsenal and Tottenham – or bigger teams like QPR if you ask Rob Green!

The following list of targets focuses on both youth and potential, while taking aim at positions where West Ham could replace a part that is either ageing – such as James Collins or Kevin Nolan – where a position is lacking in numbers, or where the current first team incumbent is due to head back to his mother team and given numbers quoted could be priced out of a permanent move – I’m looking at you Carl Jenkinson.

You will also notice a distinctly British feel to these players…

Click on Jenko to reveal

Nathan Redmond

Nathan Redmond seems to have been around forever, yet is still an England U21 international.

If Norwich do not go up then West Ham should be breaking down the door in pursuit of this talented youngster.

Sam Byram/Kieran Trippier

This article suggests a list of FIVE transfer targets, but I offer you two potential options at right back.

In Byram and Trippier you have two players who could be the right sided equivalent to Aaron Cresswell. Sam Byram has at times looked fantastic for Leeds and although he may have been a little off form recently, it’s clear he still possesses talent to make the jump up to the Premier League.

Trippier has been an excellent player in a poor Burnley side and if they go down Trippier will be a wanted man.

Burnley may not have to sell however as their sole purpose this season was to save the money and give their young players experience, with the aim of building towards the future.

Lewis Dunk

Lewis Dunk burst onto the scene at Brighton a few years ago and was at one point a transfer target of Chelsea.

He has gone off the boil a little in recent seasons since involvement in a court case which resulted in the player being cleared.

He has had an excellent season despite Brighton’s struggles at the bottom of the Championship.

Patrick Bamford

One of many youngsters who should have a bright future ahead of them if they can get away from the reserve teams of the big clubs.

Chelsea striker Bamford has looked excellent up front for Middlesbrough this season and surely a loan move to a club in the Premiership is the next step for him.

Bamford would be ideal as back up to Valencia and Sahko, with Carroll in and out of the treatment room.

Will Hughes

Let’s finish off by being a little more ambitious. Will Hughes has been a shining light for Derby for two seasons now and is destined for a big future with the right management while he is young.

We do not want to see him join the Premier Leagues reserve ranks with other lost footballers like Josh McEachran.

Why not bring in Hughes to rotate with the current crop of midfielders at West Ham and perhaps be the perfect player to replace Downing in the hole as he starts to decline now that he is past 30.