West Ham United legend Sir Trevor Brooking has admitted he does not see the club finishing inside the top six for the upcoming season, despite their brilliant transfer window so far this summer.

The Hammers have brought in five new players this summer, spending close to £100m and smashing their club transfer record on Brazilian winger Felipe Anderson.

It’s fair to say pretty much all of West Ham’s signings, as well as the names linked to the club, have all been high profile players who you would think could help to elevate Manuel Pellegrini’s side into a European spot.

However, those hopes haven’t been echoed by Sir Trevor Brooking, who spent 22 years at West Ham. The legend claims that although finishing within the top half of the table is a must, perhaps a spot in Europe is a step too far.

“We’ve been looking over our shoulders in the wrong way the last couple of seasons and so we need to get into that top half,” he told Sky Sports News. “The top six are really tough to break down but I think this year with the money spent, you’re trying to give the manager the ability to be mid table, top half but then identify where he needs to strengthen the squad if they want to kick on.

“The challenge of the top six is a tough one – you’ve got clubs like Everton and Leicester and West Ham need to be around them this season.

“The player I’m quite excited about is Jack. He’s a talented player, a creative midfielder – West Ham need someone like that to see a pass. At 26 – for me the next 5 or 6 years were my best – you’ve got your confidence in your ability.

“If I was him I’d want to prove to everyone that he can be as good as we know he can be and so for me his presence, if he plays well will be a big plus.”