Where do West Ham still need to strengthen this summer?
This summer West Ham fans will head into the new 2017/18 Premier League campaign with high optimism after a strong transfer window which has seen the arrival of five players thus far.
The London Stadium side have captured Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez and newest recruit Sead Haksabanovic while also seeing a number of players head through the exit door.
However, with West Ham being West Ham, they’re already facing a conundrum with several injury concerns. Regulars Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho have yet again been sidelined so the Hammers have brought in reliable Mexican and ex-Manchester United man Javier Hernandez.
The £16 million striker has been dubbed as potentially the buy of the summer, with Hammers fans getting very excited about the prospect of having a quality striker within their ranks.
Although the transfers have been undeniably good, there is still work for the Hammers as the transfer window nears a close, take a look below to see what we think West Ham still need to do.
Bring in a new centre-back
Too many mistakes and injuries have made it apparent that the team would benefit with a new defender.
A player the Hammers should look to bring in is Ben Gibson. The Middlesbrough captain had a steady campaign for the relegated side last season and would certainly make a strong case to be in the starting XI.
Get William Carvalho
The 25-year-old is an established midfielder in the Primeira Liga and has been rumoured with a move to many big European sides over the last few years.
West Ham, however, have made a strong £27 million bid for the defensive midfielder and if they manage to pull a deal off to bring Carvalho to West Ham, that is indeed a very strong statement as a show of intent for the season.
Give star man Lanzini a new contract
Last season was a rollercoaster for the Hammers but Manuel Lanzini was the bright spark in all things good for West Ham. With Liverpool reportedly weighing up a move for the Argentine, the club need to get him tied down to a long-term contract and ensure the 24-year-old is still pulling the strings for a long time to come.
Secure a backup striker
With West Ham and their injury problems, especially in the forward department, a backup to Hernandez should be a priority.
Carroll and Sakho can’t be relied on to stay fit throughout the season but with Bilic saying he doesn’t want another forward, this could prove costly for the Hammers if Hernandez was to get injured.