Under Slaven Bilic, West Ham have put an emphasis on giving young players a chance in the first-team to see what they can offer.
Reec Oxford became West Ham’s youngest-ever player last summer in the Europa League, while Djair-Parfitt Williams, Alex Pike and Lewis Page were all handed first-team debuts.
This didn’t go unnoticed around Europe either. Young players are keen on joining West Ham because they know they’ll be given their opportunity to shine.
Martin Samuelsen was given his professional debut by Bilic last summer following his arrival from Manchester City, and the likes of Ashley Fletcher and Toni Martinez have joined this summer with the same idea.
West Ham also gave a debut to 16-year-old Portuguese midfielder Domingos Quina last night who signed from Chelsea, another example of a chance being given to a young prodigy.
So, with this in mind, we’ve picked out 10 promising young talents across Europe who perhaps don’t play as regularly as they would like who West Ham should consider signing to help them become the stars they have the potential to be.
Marco Asensio
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder impressed for Mallorca in the Liga Adelante before making his move to Real Madrid last summer.
The loaned him straight out to Espanyol where he accumulated four goals and a stunning 15 assists – one of the highest totals in La Liga.
Unlikely to have a big role in the Madrid first-team, Asensio would be a fantastic loan option for West Ham who are short of attacking midfielders.
Jese Rodriguez
The Spanish forward will be allowed to leave Real Madrid this summer, says Zinedine Zidane, and would be a great option for the Hammers.
The 23-year-old was regarded as one of Europe’s top prospects before a knee injury in 2014 sidelined him for nearly nine months.
With one year left on his deal, he could be the bargain of the summer.
Julian Green
The USA international’s career has never really taken off at Bayern Munich who have a number of world-class wingers at their disposal and Green needs a fresh.
Pacey, skillful and can also fill-in as a striker, West Ham should look to sign Green on the cheap as he only has one year left on his contract.
Matthias Ginter
Ginter’s career was set to take off when he joined Dortmund for £8.5m in 2014 but he’s failed to establish himself.
The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to West Ham this summer and can play right-back or centre-back, making him a solid option for us.
Andreas Pereira
The 20-year-old Brazilian has made just 13 appearances for Manchester United in four years since his arrival from PSV and has made his frustrations known that he wants to play regularly.
A versatile attacking midfielder, Pereira would be a great option to have the squad alongside Manuel Lanzini in the final third.
Dominic Solanke
The England U21 intentional is regarded as one of the best young forwards in England but is yet to be given a chance by Chelsea.
With just one career appearance for the Blues, Solanke was loaned to Vitesse last season where he scored seven goals in 25 appearances.
He has just one-year left on his contract and isn’t in talks to extend it. He has the talent to be a contributor for West Ham.
Jason Denayer
At 21, Jason Denayer wants to push for a first-team spot at Manchester City which isn’t available for him.
Two impressive loan spells with Celtic and Galatasaray have made the centre-back a regular in Belgium’s international squads and given our defensive frailties, could be a brilliant option at the back.
Kenedy
A former Brazilian wonderkid, Kenedy made his name at Fluminense as a left-winger or striker but since his £6.8m move to Chelsea has transitioned to left-back.
Versatile, energetic and has an eye for goal, the 20-year-old is down in the pecking order at Chelsea and Antonio Conte doesn’t feature him in his first-team plans.
Either on loan or on a permanent deal, Kenedy would be someone worth having.
Calum Chambers
Since his £17m move to Arsenal from Southampton, Chambers has been a bit-part player for the Gunners mainly because no one’s sure on his best position – is it right-back or centre-back?
West Ham need help in both positions and signing Chambers on loan helps us in the short term and Arsenal need him playing regular games.
Harry Toffolo
An England U20 international, Toffolo is spoken about as one of the best young left-back’s England have to offer.
With Martin Olsson and Robbie Brady ahead of him at Norwich, and just one year left on his contract, Toffolo could be had for a relatively small fee and offers short-term relief for Aaron Cresswell.