SIX realistic signings to prepare West Ham for European football

Ashley Barnes picked up a red card this weekend for Burnley, putting West Ham in pole position to come top of the Fair Play League.

With Europa League football looking increasingly likely – and confirmation from Jack Sullivan that we will not reject the place – it is clear that the squad needs some bolstering.

If we are to enjoy a European campaign as well as a successful Premier League season, we must start looking at players who will add strength in depth to our current squad.

Here I will not look at any marquee signing possibilities, like Alex Song, Javier Hernandez or Yevhen Konoplyanka, but instead at some realistic targets that will ensure we have a sufficiently equipped squad for European football.

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Lassana Diarra

30-year-old Lassana Diarra has been training with West Ham since January in the hope of earning a contract.

Sam Allardyce and Diarra himself revealed earlier this year that attempts to sign the Frenchman had been blocked by FIFA due to administrative issues, but both remained confident that a deal could be finalised this summer.

Diarra has bags of experience having played European football with Chelsea, Arsenal, Portsmouth and most noticeably Real Madrid.

The former France international has the ability to play in midfield or defence and his versatility could prove very useful as cover for the first team.

Tyrone Mings

If Ipswich fail to secure promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs then their talented youngster Tyrone Mings could be tempted by a switch to the top flight.

And the 22-year-old may wish to follow in the footsteps of Aaron Cresswell, who made a successful transition from Ipswich to West Ham last summer.

Mings, who took the non-league route to professional football, can operate at left back or centre back and has been impressive for Ipswich for a couple of seasons.

Off the pitch, he is a model professional; he spent Christmas feeding homeless people, bought a ticket for a fan who could not afford to go to a game and most recently paid off all of his mother’s lifetime debts.

Lewis Cook

A lot has been said of 20-year-old Alex Mowatt in the heart of the Leeds midfield, but we should also keep tabs on his 18-year-old partner Lewis Cook.

The England U19 international has consistently impressed me, having broken into the first team this year. Despite being small in height and slight in frame, Cook is not afraid of a challenge and enjoys sitting deep in midfield.

Also able to play on both wings and further forward into midfield, we might be able to prise him away from his boyhood club due to the uncertainty surrounding the owners and the club’s future.

Nathan Redmond

Norwich’s promotion hopes are in currently in the balance and, if they fail to go up, we could take advantage of them by offering talented young winger Nathan Redmond the prospect of Premier League and European football.

Redmond burst onto the scene with Birmingham before Norwich beat us to his signature in summer 2013. Aged just 21, he has the capability of taking on defenders and beating them, although his final ball still needs working on.

But seing as he is still young, he is a terrific prospect and his skilled, mazy runs could work to our benefit. We are thin on the ground in terms of wingers with Valencia and Downing often deployed out of position in wide areas.

Redmond is a genuine winger who could potentially be a starter next season if we can secure his services.

Patrick Bamford

With Carlton Cole’s West Ham future looking uncertain and our other three strikers all prone to injury, our forward line might need some padding out.

Patrick Bamford has been on loan at Middlesbrough (from Chelsea) this season and his goals have fired Middlesbrough into the promotion race, with Bamford subsequently winning Championship Player of the Year.

He has continued to score goals in the lower leagues and he may feel that the time has come to make the step up to the Premiership. Chelsea might be content to allow a loan deal for their 21-year-old striker but other rumours have suggested a swap deal involving Enner Valencia + plus cash could also be a possibility.

Callum Wilson

Another young striker to consider is Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson. The 23-year-old has scored 19 goals in the Championship this season and has won ten penalties, firing the Cherries towards the top of the league.

The former Coventry striker causes defences plenty of problems with his blistering pace and clever running and could prove to be a good back-up for Sakho, Valencia and Carroll if we could get him for a reasonable price.