June 25 becomes a key Hammers day

West Ham have marked down Monday June 25 as a key date on the summer transfer window schedule.

That’s the day when Manuel Pellegrini will explain to the board how he wants to cover the dreadful loss of Manu Lanzini.

The new boss and director of football Mario Husillos will be telling the two Davids exactly how they intend to address the problem and how he sees the £70 million transfer kitty being stretched to cover their needs.

With no certainty over Lanzini’s long term situation they will possibly decide to bring in a loan player or drop his early hopes of recruiting one central defender instead of two.

Should that be the case they need to decide whether that is Alfie Mawson, Chris Smalling or the highly rated Issa Diop is the one they really want.

Talks are continuing on the two players but Pellegrini will have the last word on whether it’s one or other or both.

The hope remains that up to five players can be brought although it looks inevitable that they will include one or two loan additions.