West Ham United reportedly want Guillermo Maripan and Maxi Gomez.
West Ham United clearly need new signings this summer, and reports now suggest that their top two targets have been established.
The Hammers were dire against Everton on Saturday, and Manuel Pellegrini will be looking to bolster his squad with some major additions, especially with a number of players expected to leave.
Football.London now claim that Pellegrini and Mario Husillos have settled on a couple of top targets, with Alaves defender Guillermo Maripan and Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomes wanted.
Chilean centre back Maripan has starred with Alaves and could help solidify a porous West Ham back line, whilst burly centre forward Gomez is the goalscorer that Pellegrini needs if Marko Arnautovic moves on.
The pair would be outstanding signings, but there may well be a problem that nobody is really talking about, and that’s West Ham’s need for homegrown players.
This season, West Ham registered seven homegrown players; Mark Noble, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll, Ryan Fredericks, Moses Makasi and Michail Antonio. Declan Rice didn’t need to be registered as he’s an Under-21 player, and the same will go for next season.
Carroll is expected to leave, and Makasi is out of contract too. That takes West Ham down to five homegrown players, meaning a reduced squad may have to be registered if they’re not careful.
Maripan may replace Angelo Ogbonna, and Maxi Gomez fits as Arnautovic’s successor. That’s perfectly fine, but West Ham do need some homegrown players coming in too, as it’s already a minor issue before replacing two non-homegrown players with two more.
Last summer, West Ham brought in Fredericks and Wilshere to aid this cause, and if both homegrown and non-homegrown are leaving, the Hammers would be wise to bring a couple of homegrown squad players to make up for top targets being foreign.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
