Decision time for Pellegrini

Manuel Pellegrini is facing two important weeks as he assesses who stays and who goes from the Hammers squad.

With the exception of those who have been involved int World Cup action plus Marko Arnautovic – who was playing for Austria in June and has been given extra time off –  the new boss will be taking a good look at his squad and make decisions on their futures as they start their pre-season training camp.

Involved in the squad are two players for whom this may be a particularly significant summer – Robert Snodgrass and Declan Rice.

‘Snoddy’ will be doing his utmost to force his way into the manager’s thinking after returning from his year long loan spell at Aston Villa, whilst Rice will be the subject of very close attention as a defender and midfielder by the boss.

The manager is still keen – above all else apparently – to bring in a central defender and that could yet be the 31 year old Brazilian, Marcelo from Lyon, for whom the club have seen one bid rejected.

But at the end of the first fortnight of pre-season he will be making it known who he thinks he can do without as the club enters the last three frantic weeks of the transfer window when by far the most of the business is carried out.