West Ham must avoid transfer trap that could set them back years this summer

West Ham United must recruit smartly if they are to ever re-establish themselves in the Premier League.

With relegation now confirmed, the Hammers must have full focus on the jobs that need to be carried out this summer.

Plenty of recruitment will be needed, with a case to be made that it could be their biggest transfer window yet, given the number of players expected to leave.

Jarrod Bowen, Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville are among the names mooted for exits already from the London Stadium.

West Ham will need to replace them, but how they do so may determine how the future looks.

Luton Town demise serves as reminder for West Ham

First and foremost, West Ham and Luton are not comparable in terms of club size, though they are to some extent in terms of current predicament.

The Hatters signed a remarkable squad for the Championship, but it was full of players who were never going to be able to make the step up to the Premier League, and that saw them relegated with ease.

West Ham could do that this summer and almost guarantee an immediate bounce back to the top flight, though the same scenario would almost certainly pan out if they did.

The Irons must find the balance between players with the ability to get them promoted from the Championship and the ability to have an impact in the Premier League, which is a very tough ask.

West Ham have bigger decision to make before recruitment

Player arrivals and departures will shape the next campaign, but not as much as deciding who the man in the dugout will be.

Nuno Espirito Santo's future will be up in the air, and even more so after Alphonse Areola's partner took fire at the boss on social media.

Only once his future is clarified will the Hammers be able to proceed with their summer plans, which must be much better than they have been in recent years.