West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini is set to return to London in the next couple of days armed with the final list of players he wants to buy and sell this summer, according to Claret and Hugh.
The Hammers news website report that the Chilean has been in constant contact with director of football Mario Husillos during his holiday at home, and will now present a ‘honed’ list of players to the club.
Claret and Hugh claim that the club are particularly interested in the list of players who Pellegrini wishes to offload in the coming weeks, with long-serving defender Winston Reid thought to be in danger.
OPINION
The day of judgement is coming for several current West Ham stars who are sweating over their future at the London Stadium. Alongside Reid there are at least five current Hammers players who may well be on Pellegrini’s chopping block, including Sam Byram, Edimilson Fernandes, Josh Cullen, Jordan Hugill and Andy Carroll. It will be mightily interesting to see who ends up leaving the club this summer, as it will give us a clearer indication of the direction in which Pellegrini wishes to take this West Ham side. The fate of Carroll will be particularly telling, with the big striker only useful when a manager wants his team to play in a certain way. In terms of incomings, it looks like the Hammers are on the verge of a deal to sign Ryan Fredericks after his contract at Fulham comes to an end, and Pellegrini is likely to focus his efforts on signing more defensive-minded players alongside the right-back. Getting his back line right will surely be a priority considering the club’s abysmal defensive record in 2017/18, with a centre-back likely to arrive after the departure of James Collins.
