West Ham United need to target players for the future.
New West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini should signal his intentions to build a dynasty at the club by attempting to sign PSV Eindhoven’s Steven Bergwijn ahead of fellow Premier League suitors.
A report in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claimed trio Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a summer deal for the 20-year-old prospect following his excellent campaign.
Bergwijn netted eight times from a wide position for PSV this term, while he also contributed with an impressive seven assists as Philip Cocu’s men regained the title ahead of the likes of Ajax and Feyenoord.
West Ham will be keen to freshen up their squad this summer as Pellegrini inherits an ageing squad, with several players having little to no re-sale value following a bizarre club transfer policy.
If the Hammers have any intention of breaking into that elite top six Premier League group, they must play a long-term game and bring in players with huge potential and importantly a high re-sale value.
Tottenham have shown how it can be done, signing the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric and later selling them on for huge sums, using the profits to then reinvest in the squad.
It would be a gamble on Pellegrini’s part as West Ham’s owners will expect immediate improvement, and sometimes it takes younger players a season or two to really start showing their potential.
But investing in youth would show that Pellegrini has his heart set on a long spell in East London, and it would signal his intentions of helping the club grow and later challenge when the time is right.
Bergwijn is exactly the sort of player the Hammers should be targeting, as the speedy winger boasts plenty of potential while he would be much more likely to get first-team opportunities at the London Stadium rather than at Anfield or White Hart Lane.
West Ham struggled for creativity last term, with pressure placed on Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini to come up with the goods, therefore adding another attacker should be a priority for Pellegrini this summer.
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