West Ham manager David Moyes will be looking to fund new signings this summer by offloading some of his squad’s fringe players, such as Issa Diop and Arthur Masuaku.
This is according to Pete O’Rourke, who told GIVEMESPORT when asked about the two defenders leaving:
“If he can offload some of the fringe players in the squad to make room in his squad, I’m sure it is something he would definitely look at, and it would also boost his own war chest for the summer transfer window as well.”
The duo have started only14 league games between them this season, and have not looked like establishing themselves as first-team regulars throughout the current campaign.
The London club have reached the quarter-finals of the competition and will face Lyon in the next round. The Hammers enjoyed a major scalp the last time out knocking out six-time winners Sevilla, which will give them major confidence to go on and win the tournament. This would be a huge success for David Moyes’s side and would certainly carry momentum into next season.
West Ham will certainly be looking to progress further again next season, with or without a trophy, and a top-four finish should be the target if they do not already achieve it this season.
To do that they will need to bolster their squad and selling fringe is a short path to achieving it.
The Hammers will also have to retain their current group of players and holding on to the likes of Declan Rice should be a priority. According to the Daily Mail, the club have slapped a £150 million price tag on the Englishman’s head to fend off clubs, such as Manchester United and Chelsea.
West Ham will be in no rush to sell the midfielder, however, as the Daily Mail state that the English international still has two years left on his contract, with the club having the option to extend by another year.
If they can keep hold of Rice and other key players, whilst adding fresh faces, it will be very exciting to see what West Ham could achieve next season.