What happens in terms of results for West Ham over the next few months will arguably dictate their summer transfer window.
Get into the Champions League and there’s every reason to believe that targets such as Kalvin Phillips could be landed.
Making it into the Europa League, whilst not a disaster, would likely see only ‘second tier’ players targeted and players such as Declan Rice move on.
It is a pivotal time for David Moyes and the board.
After so many years of being one of London’s sleeping giants, there is a sense that, finally, West Ham could be on the verge of greatness but they just need that little push to get them over the line.
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Key to their aspirations is being able to keep hold of Rice, and David Sullivan’s sleight of hand with regard to the midfielder’s contract and those of others has, at the very least, afforded the club a chance to cash in if Rice sees his future elsewhere.
According to the Daily Mail, cited by West Ham Zone, Sullivan has ensured that the club can unilaterally extend certain player contracts by a further 12 months.
Even with Rice not wanting to sign an extension to his current deal, the 12 months effectively means he will still have three years to run on his contract at the end of this summer, and that means the Hammers could command well in excess of £100m for his services.
That would soften the blow of losing their best player if he decides to move to Manchester United or Chelsea.