West Ham United is gearing up for an ambitious summer rebuild, with Liverpool's Harvey Elliott and Slavia Prague's El Hadji Malick Diouf in their sights. The London club is close to finalizing the signing of left-back Diouf and aims to make further additions after boosting their budget with the £54.5m sale of Mohammed Kudus to Spurs.
Kudus' departure has created space for West Ham to bring in an attacking midfielder, identifying 22-year-old Elliott as a key target. Having starred for England Under-21s during their triumphant European Championship campaign last month, scoring five goals in six games, Elliott has hinted that he may consider his future at Liverpool due to his lack of regular starts.
While West Ham has yet to submit a bid for Elliott, there is optimism within the club that a deal will be possible. RB Leipzig also shows interest in Elliot who can play across various positions on the front line.
Graham Potter's vision for a fresh squad
Graham Potter, appointed as manager earlier this year, aims to rejuvenate his squad by bringing young dynamic players into the fold while improving dressing room morale. Kyle Macaulay leads recruitment efforts after joining from Chelsea and seeks creative signings.
Elliott joined Liverpool in 2019 but struggled to establish himself as a regular starter despite showing promising talent. With only two starts out of 18 league appearances last season under Arne Slot, he could find more opportunities at West Ham whose current options on flanks include Jarrod Bowen, Luis Guilherme and Crysencio Summerville recovering from injury.
In addition to considering Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton, West Ham is also scouting internationally for signings. The club initiated talks with Slavia over Diouf last month, and negotiations for a deal worth £22m plus £5m in add-ons are nearing completion. Diouf, who can play as a left-back or wing-back, impressed during Senegal's victory over England last month. His potential arrival raises questions about the future of Emerson Palmieri at West Ham.
New formation on the horizon?
Potter is contemplating a 3-4-2-1 system which would necessitate defenders capable of functioning as wing-backs. West Ham already has Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the opposite flank.
Despite having to sell to buy, West Ham is pushing forward with their plans after losing Kudus. They aim to bring in a goalkeeper, left centre-back, two central midfielders and a striker. The club is also open to further sales and welcomes offers for Nayef Aguerd, Edson Álvarez, Guido Rodríguez and Niclas Füllkrug.
