After their ninth-placed finish last season, it appears that West Ham United are now in the market for proven Premier League players that they hope can take them back to European football next year.
West Ham want attacking reinforcements this summer
The first signing made under the tenure of Julen Lopetegui showed that West Ham's priority this summer is to bring new attacking talents to the London Stadium. Lopetegui's first arrival was 18-year-old winger Luis Guilherme who arrived in East London in a £25.5million move from Palmeiras.
West Ham enquire about £90k-p/w ace who Gary Neville said was "outstanding"
He could be a great replacement for an outgoing Hammer.
ByTom CoatesJul 16, 2024
Signing a five-year deal with the Hammers, Guilherme spoke highly of the club in his frist appearance as a West Ham player telling the club website:
"The Premier League is the best league in the world. I believe I’ll improve a lot here with the entire staff at West Ham, which is crucial for my development."
In their pursuit of new forward players, West Ham have had their eyes on a couple of strikers with proven Premier League experience. A report from last week claimed that the Hammers are eyeing up a move for Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin whilst the East London side have been linked with a move for Brentford's Ivan Toney since well before the window opened.
With Guilherme clearly just the first of many attacking recruits this summer, it appears that West Ham have now opened talks for another player currently playing in the Premier League.
West Ham open talks for Arsenal talent
As first reported by Football Insider's Wayne Veysey, West Ham have opened preliminary talks over a deal to sign Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson this summer. The outlet states that the 24-year-old is set to depart the Emirates during the transfer window after being at the North London outfit since age nine.
With the Gunners expected to cash in on the winger, West Ham have clearly wasted no time getting around the table to discuss a deal for the player. Nelson's current contract is set to keep him at Arsenal until 2027, however the lack of first team opportunities could see the curtain fall on his time at the club.
Nelson has long struggled to establish himself in the Gunners' starting eleven, with the rise of Bukayo Saka severely limiting the 24-year-old's opportunities to get on the pitch in recent seasons. Despite this, Nelson has always been held in high regard by his teammates with former Arsenal captain Alexander Lacazette calling him a "big talent" back in 2020.
Nelson made his debut for Arsenal back in 2017 at just 17 years of age. The then teenager quickly stood out as one of England's best young talents with former Arsenal star Martin Keown even comparing Nelson to Brazil superstar Neymar after a Europa League game against BATE Borisov when Nelson was a teenager.
Regardless of his recent struggles, Nelson is still a player that could bring a lot to West Ham next season. With years of Premier League experience under his belt and still the potential to improve, the 24-year-old looks like a risk that could be worth taking this summer.