Early moves are exactly what West Ham need this summer

Early moves are exactly what West Ham need this summer

West Ham ended their Premier League campaign on a high yesterday following a 2-1 victory away at Burnley, clinching an eleventh-placed finish for the Hammers and completing a remarkable turnaround in recent months.

Not too long ago, West Ham faced a huge relegation battle with Swansea City and defeat in that game would have left them in real danger. However, Slaven Bilic’s side pulled together and clinched a crucial win, before embarking on a decent run that would see them finish the campaign with a ten-point cushion over the drop zone.

Of course, this sort of finish is still significantly less than West Ham would have been hoping for in their inaugural season at the London Stadium but the early moves from the Hammers to solidify their standing ahead of the summer window have been key.

Michail Antonio extended his contract in West London to ensure his services were not snapped-up by a Premier League rival this summer and Argentine ace Manuel Lanzini has played down speculation that suggests he could be on his way out this summer.



Those big boosts were the perfect start to what will be a busy and crucial transfer window for the Hammers and the club has continued to make decent progress following the Premier League finale, with two crucial pieces of business filtering through.

Firstly, reports from The Telegraph indicate Slaven Bilic’s future at the club will be decided today in a board meeting, where discussions ahead of planned summer activity are likely to take place- and it’s extremely important that these sort of decisions are made early.

Should Bilic move on, West Ham have given themselves plenty of time to find a replacement and will have enough space on the transfer market to move for their ideal targets if a new manager was to arrive at the London Stadium.

The Hammers have not rested on their laurels in making this decision and it’s a big step ahead of the summer window, although it’s not the only early move the East London giants have made since the Premier League’s final.

Sky Sports reports the contract of Spanish goalkeeper Adrian has been extended by two years, with the Hammers activating a clause in the 30-year-old’s contract which means the experienced stopper won’t be available on a free transfer this summer.

Whilst Adrian’s future as first-team goalkeeper is still under scrutiny, the proactive move from West Ham has put them in charge of their own decisions this summer- rather than having to be reactive on the transfer market if Adrian was to leave.

West Ham still have a lot to do on the transfer market this summer but sorting the positions of key-players like Antonio, Lanzini and Adrian is a big step, whilst the early decision on Bilic’s future is set to be crucial to the months ahead.