3 players who may join Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham this summer
On the 22nd of May 2018, West Ham officially presented Manuel Pellegrini as their new manager. The Chilean has coached the likes of Villarreal, Real Madrid and most notably, Manchester City and given his wealth of experience, this represents one of the best appointments that the Hammers could have made given their circumstances.
The east Londoners suffered a forgettable campaign to say the least, which saw Slaven Bilic sacked in November last year. David Moyes took over with the club in a precarious situation facing a tough relegation battle, though managed to guide them to a 13th-placed finish, which is impressive given just how much they were struggling for consistency upon his arrival.
With Pellegrini, they will be targeting a chance to challenge for European action - in the same way that Burnley surprised many by qualifying for next season's UEFA Europa League.
Before this though, Pellegrini needs to make a handful of improvements to the squad by adding new acquisitions. With that in mind, here are three early summer targets that West Ham should be looking at signing.
#3 Yaya Touré (Free agent)
According to a report in The Sun, Pellegrini could sign Yaya Toure this summer - given the duo's close relationship from previous seasons.
At the age of 35, Toure now finds himself a free agent after his illustrious spell with Premier League champions Manchester City came to an end following the conclusion of their title-winning season earlier this month.
The central midfielder has reportedly been on West Ham's radar for some time previously, but the London club were said to have been put off by his high wage demands. Despite this though, the arrival of Pellegrini could effectively persuade Yaya to join him in east London and also for less weekly wages too.
The Chilean manager aims to strengthen West Ham's attacking options and Touré could slot straight into Pellegrini's plans going forward. The Ivory Coast international excels when it comes to retaining possession with his fantastic passing range.
Despite this though, he only made 10 appearances this past season - most of which were substitute cameos. He, at 35, is still a physically strong specimen and will continue to hold a high reputation for being one of Europe's most dominant, whilst believing he has a point to prove towards those who suggest his best days have come and gone at the highest level.
If the Hammers manage to sign him, he would represent a shrewd addition to their midfield.