Amidst all the transfer rumours that flood the back pages every day, West Ham have found themselves linked with a wide variety of signings- ranging from talented youngsters, established players who need a new venture and top-class players who are struggling at their respective sides.

The likes of Joe Hart, Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Daniel Sturridge and Kelechi Iheanacho have been linked to West Ham this summer, all of whom would be stellar recruits, but the fact of the matter is the most crucial pieces of business for the Hammers during the close-season will come internally.

West Ham moved swiftly this summer to secure the future of star-man Michail Antonio and also ensured the future of manager Slaven Bilic, adding stability to their squad, whilst it now seems that Manuel Lanzini is also set to be handed a fresh deal.

Securing the Argentine to a new deal, reportedly worth around £50k-a-week, will ensure the South American starlet stays away from the clutches of rival Premier League sides- although it will certainly be difficult for the Hammers to maintain his services for the long-term.

The reality for West Ham is that the next few seasons are likely to see them as a selling club, with their prized players being lured away to bigger sides. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing and could allow West Ham to build their project.

The Hammers need to look towards Southampton for inspiration, as the Saints have sold key-players for big prices and managed to replace the majority of them internally, whilst capturing a few smaller names from abroad who have gone on to become stars.

That route has seen Southampton sell the likes of Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers, Victor Wanyama and it now appears that Virgil Van Dijk will become the latest man to leave the South Coast- but the Saints look comfortable every time.

Southampton’s recruitment set-up is very strong and their youth ranks are bursting with talent, with the club not afraid to hand opportunities to young players- something West Ham need to learn from, with the consensus in East London at the moment being that their talents are not yet ready.

Reece Oxford will certainly benefit from a loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach but his opening day performance against Arsenal two-years ago shows that he’s ready for more Premier League action- and he could have been a useful asset this season.

The Hammers have the likes of Reece Burke, Domingos Quina Josh Cullen, Toni Martinez and Declan Rice banging on the door of the first-team but co-chairman David Gold previously upset supporters with a statement that young players aren’t ready for the rigours of the Premier League.

He couldn’t be further from the truth and the fact of the matter is if you’re good enough, you’re old enough- as shown by the phenomenal breakthroughs of the likes of Dele Alli, Hector Bellerin and Marcus Rashford in recent years.

Bilic has handed debuts to 11 academy graduates during his tenure at West Ham so far but is yet to hand the youngsters regular football, which needs to change this season- especially as it will save the Hammers a fortune in the market.