West Ham transfer news remains dominated by Nuno Espírito Santo’s attempts to strengthen three major areas after the club pulled out of a proposed deal for Reiss Nelson. Edvin Austbø, Arne Engels and Troy Parrott now stand out as three transfers capable of transforming the Hammers’ promotion squad.
ReadWestHam reported on Thursday that West Ham had walked away from the Nelson move following concerns over the Arsenal winger’s injury history.
That leaves work to do out wide, in central midfield and in attack.
West Ham transfer news: Three positions Nuno must strengthen
Edvin Austbo can fill the winger gap
West Ham have already made their interest in Edvin Austbø concrete.
The Hammers submitted an offer worth around £8m for the Viking winger, only for the Norwegian club to reject it.
The player himself has now provided encouragement.
ReadWestHam reported earlier on Thursday that Austbø openly discussed West Ham’s interest, describing the Hammers as an attractive club and making clear he is ready for the next step in his career.
Sport Witness, relaying Stavanger Aftenblad, reported that Austbø would seriously consider the opportunity if West Ham and Viking can reach an agreement.
With Nelson no longer arriving, returning with an improved proposal would make sense.
Arne Engels remains West Ham’s priority midfield move
Central midfield is another area requiring attention.
Arne Engels remains the leading target after weeks of negotiations with Celtic.
Football Insider reported on Thursday that West Ham remain confident of eventually completing the transfer, with personal terms understood to be in place.
The 22-year-old fits the broader profile West Ham appear to be targeting: young enough to retain value but experienced enough to contribute immediately.
With Tomáš Souček unavailable and Soungoutou Magassa attracting transfer interest, adding another central midfielder could become increasingly important.
Troy Parrott can complete Nuno’s attack
Parrott is the third move West Ham should continue pushing.
The Hammers have already made an offer for the AZ Alkmaar striker, with talkSPORT placing his valuation at around £18m.
At 24, the Republic of Ireland international offers a very different proposition to free-agent option Jamie Vardy.
Taty Castellanos has started the campaign positively, but promotion contenders need more than one dependable goalscorer across 46 league matches.
Parrott would provide competition immediately while potentially remaining an important player if West Ham secure promotion.
Austbø, Engels and Parrott would not be cheap.
They would, however, address three of the clearest weaknesses remaining in Nuno’s squad with players aged 21, 22 and 24.
After the Nelson deal collapsed, West Ham’s next moves could define the final weeks of their summer rebuild.
