With a new era dawning in east London, which will include European football, a new stadium, world class stars and the promise of new signings, it is a good time to be a Hammer.
Slavan Bilic and co. are looking to strengthen the squad for their forthcoming assault on European football and will be closely watching the talent set to star at the impending European Championships in a few days’ time.
Unlike some teams, the Irons won’t be able to shop at the very top end of the market for their targets and will, likely, only be able to bring in a few serious names, so the club’s management will be scouring the lesser known players, looking for some real bargains and unpolished gems.
Here are Five players from Group A that West Ham should try and sign this summer…
Nicolae Stanciu – Romania
Stanciu is the most promising player on the books at Steaua Bucharest and is set to be a star man for Romania at EURO 2016.
Just 23, Stanciu only made his international debut in March but has been a revelation, scoring four goals in five games and creating a host of chances for his team-mates.
West Ham would be the perfect place for Stanciu to continue his development, especially under the tutelage of Dimitri Payet, who plays a similar role to the young Romanian.
Taulant Xhaka – Albania
An extremely versatile talent, Xhaka will be starring for Albania at this year’s European Championship and will be facing his younger brother, Granit, when his side face the Swiss on Saturday 11th June.
While Taulant may not be as famous as his younger brother (who has just made a move to Arsenal), he can play across the defence and midfield and will be marshalling the game for an inexperienced Albania side this summer.
An aggressive, tough tackling player, Xhaka would be a fans’ favourite at West Ham and fit in perfectly with the philosophy of the club.
Florin Andone – Romania
The man who will lead the line for Romania in France, Florin Andone has lived and played in Spain for the majority of his life. His bullish attitude mixed with graceful flair make him a perfect mix of his native country and his adopted nation.
At just 23, Andone has already attracted the interest of several clubs across Europe, including Southampton, Sevilla and Malaga. West Ham would be wise to move quickly for young striker, especially if he impresses for Romania this summer.
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Nico Elvedi – Switzerland
At just 19, Elvedi has already made a name for himself in his native Switzerland and in Germany, where he has been with Borussia Monchengladbach for two years.
Despite only breaking into both club and country first teams in the last few months, Elvedi has already impressed with his powerful displays from centre back. With pace to burn, the imposing youngster can also be utilised on both flanks.
Elvedi would be a perfect signing to help West Ham start a new era and build a truly impressive squad for the future at their new home.
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Elseid Hysaj – Albania
Arguably Albania’s best player at EURO 2016, Elseid Hysaj has established himself as the first choice right back for Napoli and is one of the most sought after young defenders in Europe.
In February, Hysaj was included in a Best XI of Serie A young players by football analysts in Italy, alongside names such as Paul Pogba and Mauro Icardi.
With Hysaj’s stock quickly rising and West Ham needing competition for Sam Byram at right back, the Albanian could be the perfect answer for Bilic.
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