West Ham need to keep an eye out for ideal free agents this afternoon

West Ham need to keep an eye out for ideal free agents this afternoon

West Ham need to improve their squad this summer and they’ve already utilised the Bosman transfer ruling by securing a deal to sign Pablo Zabaleta on a free transfer from Manchester City, in an addition that should boost their defensive line.

The Hammers still have a lot of work to do though and Slaven Bilic’s side have been linked with an array of exciting additions. Whilst there’s money to be spent, the Hammers could also benefit from utilising the free agent market in the coming months.

Later this afternoon, Premier League clubs are set to announce their retained and released list- with the likes of John Terry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gael Clichy and Willy Caballero set to be amongst the big names available.

Whilst those names might not stand-out as the ideal recruits for the Hammers, talented players like Crystal Palace’s Zeki Fryers and Sunderland’s Jan Kirchhoff are set to be available- and players like Joe Ledley, Martin Caceres and Lucas Leiva could add depth in key areas.



Away from the Premier League, players like Benoit Tremoulinas, Pepe, Tiago, Eric Chupo-Moting, Rene Adler, Keisuke Honda, Sulley Muntari, Mario Balotelli and Rachid Ghezzal- which means that the Hammers could secure a number of bargains.

West Ham are seeking recruits across all areas of their side this summer, from goalkeepers to strikers, and signing free agents will leave more money available to be used on the transfer front and would make things a lot easier for Slaven Bilic.

Plenty of Premier League sides have benefitted from free agents in recent years, with Ibrahimovic excelling at Manchester United last summer, Sol Campbell becoming a legend at Arsenal and Esteban Cambiasso becoming a key-player a few years ago with Leicester City.

There’s plenty of hit-and-misses along the way but the fact these players wouldn’t cost a penny in transfer funds reduces the risk for the Hammers and they could improve their depth significantly in the process.

Whilst there are no stand-out names that would immediately benefit the Hammers, there is plenty for Slaven Bilic to consider and the Premier League’s release list this afternoon could contain a few surprises- and West Ham need to be ready to make a move, as there is likely to be a wealth of competition on the market from at home and abroad.