OPINION
West Ham know that they will be in the Premier League next season and preparations have to start now if they want to see vast improvements on the pitch.
The Hammers do need a huge overhaul of the squad to ensure they are not down by the bottom end of the table battling relegation.
There are a decent number of first-team players that can play a role competing for European spots this time next year.
However, there is also a load of fringe players in the squad that should be removed from the wage bill, as they have been unable to make a serious impact in this campaign.
One man that should be moved on in the summer is defender Sam Byram, who has to be considered a flop of the 2017/18 season.
The 24-year right-back has managed a total of just 10 senior appearances across all competitions this term due to a spate of injuries, but when he’s featured he has looked all at sea and doesn’t look prepared for top-flight football.
He has been given the benefit of the doubt after a slow start to life at the London Stadium, but the jump up from Leeds United in the Championship now appears too big after a rough second year.
West Ham’s first-choice right-back Pablo Zabaleta is streaks ahead of Byram despite being nine years old than him and it’s unlikely he can overtake him in the pecking order next year.
English defender Byram would be best served moving elsewhere to try reignite his stuttering career and for some reason it has just not quite worked out for him.
