Slaven Bilic may well end up paying the price for West Ham’s questionable recruitment last summer. The Hammers aimed to be ambitious in the transfer window as they welcomed European football to a new stadium, but quantity soon took priority over quality and cheaper talent from abroad was preferred to stars already proven in the Premier League.

Regardless of whether Bilic is still in the dugout by the time the coming transfer window officially opens, it’s likely West Ham will have learned from their mistakes, instead focusing on players who can improve the starting XI rather than the squad and those who’ll arrive with well-established Premier League credentials.

Thus, I turn your attentions to Manchester United’s Ashley Young. In a world where the record transfer fee stands at £90million, a soon-to-be 32-year-old winger who has made only eight Premier League starts this season and is valued by Transfermarkt at just £5.95million might seem a little underwhelming.

Indeed, Young is by no means the player that arrived at Old Trafford in 2011 after four-and-a-half affluent seasons at Aston Villa, but he’s still got plenty to offer a top-seven aiming club like West Ham, not least including the experience of nearly 300 Premier League appearances, 30 England caps and top flight, FA Cup and League Cup title wins.

The last few years have seen Young transform into a different kind of footballer; less concerned with marauding runs and theatrics in the box and more focused on being a true team player, working hard and filling a variety of positions in both defence and midfield – he’s featured as a winger, a full-back and a wing-back on both flanks already this season.

But he still has that natural pedigree which once made him the PFA Young Player of the Year, namely that lethal left-footed delivery from out wide – something that would unquestionably benefit the aerial menace of Andy Carroll at the London Stadium – and the ability to produce the occasional worldie from long range.

No doubt, Young’s spent the last few seasons stuck in the wilderness at Old Trafford, performing well when called upon but inevitably seen as a bit-part player by Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. Yet, he’s now reached a stage of his career where natural talent has combined with experience and intelligence to give hope of an Indian summer somewhere else in the Premier League – and the London Stadium seems like the perfect destination for a final swansong.

Should West Ham swoop this summer? Let us know by voting below…

N’Golo Kante might perhaps be Chelsea’s signing of the decade. Having won the Premier League with Leicester last season, the Frenchman has been on what appears to be a one man mission to repeat the feat with new club Chelsea this season.

It was a feat he achieved last Friday, as Antonio Conte’s side won the Premier League with a dramatic 1-0 victory over West Brom to clinch the title. In doing so, Kante became the first player in history to win back-to-back titles with two different clubs. Quite an achievement.

However, not all of the Blues’ signings over the past decade or two have quite been the same calibre or had a similar impact of the arrival of the one man tackling machine that is Kante.

Owner Roman Abramovich has seen nearly £900million depart from his wallet since his arrival at the club back in 2003, and while generally his tenure has been a success, the Russian must be left wondering just where some of his hard-earned money went.

Infamous for signing strikers that just aren’t quite able to cut it, including the likes of Fernando Torres, Andrei Shevchenko, Adrian Mutu, Mateja Kezman among many others, there have also been a number of players in other positions that Chelsea fans and Roman Abrahiovich will laugh at the thought of, or perhaps not considering their cost.

Who do you think has been Chelsea’s worst signing under Abramovich? Have your say in the poll below…

Aston Villa fans are concerned that they are on the verge of losing one of their key players.

Turkish media outlet Fotospor has claimed that the forward’s representatives have held talks with Fenerbahce regarding a season-long loan.

Interestingly, the report states that Kodjia had a pre-arranged agreement with the club that he would be allowed to leave on a temporary basis if the Villans failed to earn promotion to the Premier League.

Steve Bruce’s side failed to reach that target, eventually finishing 13th in a disappointing Championship campaign.

The shining light of the season was Kodjia, who scored 19 goals and created another in 36 appearances in the second tier.

The 27-year-old only joined the Midlands outfit from Bristol City last year, so it would be a big blow to lose him for a season.

At the moment, the forward is nursing an ankle injury that is expected to keep him on the sidelines for the majority of pre-season.

After the reports about Kodjia’s future came to light, fans have been giving their reaction on Twitter, with some wanting answers from club owner Tony Xia.

According to reports in The Independent, Manchester United are targeting a summer move for Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic if the Blues sign Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco.

Antonio Conte is keen to significantly strengthen his side over the course of the next few weeks as he looks to retain the Premier League title and prepare for the group stages of the Champions League, and he is keen to bring in a new central midfielder.

The story suggests that the Italian is closing in on a £42m deal for Bakayoko, which could see Mourinho make a move for Matic having managed him during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, with many believing it is time for the Serbian to go and that the Blues must demand £40 for the 28-year-old seeing as they would be selling him to United.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

It doesn’t seem as if Southampton will be announcing any in-comings at St. Mary’s until they resolve the future of manager Claude Puel.

The Frenchman, who led the club to their first major final since 2003 and recorded an 8th placed finish in the Premier League, has lost the majority of the fan base and looks unlikely to be in his role come the start of pre-season.

However, that hasn’t stopped club officials going about the business of selling players, and it looks as if a Championship side will now be the beneficiaries of the Saints’ esteemed academy.

The club announced yesterday that defender Jason McCarthy, who spent last season on loan with Walsall, has joined Barnsley for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old, who captain the U21 Premier League Cup winning side in 2015, has made just one appearance for the first team, a three minute cameo against Crystal Palace in 2014.

Despite his lack of experience in a Southampton shirt, plenty of fans on the south coast, who have an eye for young players, were upset by the news…

According to reports in the Daily Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to step up their interest in Bournemouth forward Josh King, but the Cherries could demand £30m for the Norway international.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is looking to sign a versatile attacker this summer, and that need is even more important with both Erik Lamela and Son Heung-Min likely to miss the start of next season following hip and arm surgery respectively, according to the Daily Mirror.

King enjoyed an outstanding season for the south coast outfit last time out, scoring 16 Premier League goals in 36 top flight appearances, and Pochettino obviously feels he can make an impact in north London.

Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and while some would be happy to sign the Norwegian forward, others say that he isn’t “good enough” and that the club should be targeting a higher calibre of player.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

According to Bild, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all considering making a move for Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Muller in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Muller, 27, has spent his entire career with Bayern – scoring 161 times for the German giants and winning 16 trophies during a glittering career at the Allianz Arena.

The German’s best scoring season with Bayern came during the 2015-16 campaign, when he managed 32 goals in all competitions, cementing his reputation as one of the best forwards in the world.

Muller had a difficult 2016-17 season with Bayern, however, only managing nine goals in all competitions, five of which came in 29 Bundesliga appearances.

It is the first time in the attacker’s career that he has faced question marks, and according to Bild, Premier League trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are closely monitoring developments as they consider a move in this summer’s transfer window.

Would Bayern really sell?

Manchester United were strongly linked with Muller during Louis van Gaal’s time at Old Trafford, but it is understood that Bayern rejected a world-record bid for the forward.

Muller, who is rated at £42.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, is contracted to Bayern until 2021 – which places the German champions in a strong position – but the attacker’s role in Carlo Ancelotti’s team next season is undecided.

The arrival of James Rodriguez on loan from Real Madrid has cast more doubt over the future of Muller, and with Robert Lewandowski now expected to remain at the Allianz Arena, it could be another season of frustration for Muller if he decides to stay at Bayern.

It would be fair to say that Muller would not be short of suitors should he decide to move on, and at just 27 years old, there is an argument that his best football is ahead of him.

A record of 37 goals in 85 caps for Germany is another indication of Muller’s credentials, but his relationship with Bayern does seem to have gone a little sour, and it is difficult to imagine the Bundesliga champions rejecting a sizeable bid in this summer’s transfer window.

Leeds United have placed a £20m price tag on Chris Wood after the striker attracted interest from Premier League clubs, according to The Mirror.

What’s the word?

There were rumblings last season that Wood caught the eye of a number of top-flight clubs for his performances up front.

The New Zealand international was a pivotal part of the Whites’ campaign, which just fell short of the Championship playoffs.

The striker, who has two years remaining on his contract, netted 27 goals and ended the season as the division’s top scorer.

The Mirror reports that Swansea City, Southampton and Stoke City have all kept tabs on Wood.

The publication claims that Leeds have come to the £20m valuation after Middlesbrough paid £15m to sign Britt Assombalonga from Nottingham Forest.

Should Leeds consider selling?

In short, no. Swift changes have been made following the arrival of new head coach Thomas Christiansen.

Since Andrea Radrizzani took full control of the Championship club and appointed the Dane as Garry Monk’s successor, seven new faces have come through the welcome gates at Elland Road.

The signing of Samuel Saiz adds firepower to Leeds’ forward line, but he should be seen as an option alongside Wood.

The problem that Leeds face is the possibility of the New Zealander getting his head turned, particularly if Premier League clubs come calling.

At the age of 25, Wood has plenty of years left to play at the top level, so it would make sense for the striker to give Leeds at least one more season to try to make it into the top flight.

Dimitri Payet did not leave West Ham United on the best of terms when he rejoined Marseille in January.

The Frenchman forced his way out of the club by refusing to play for Slaven Bilic’s side.

Payet, who in the 2015-16 season scored nine goals and registered 12 assists in 30 Premier League appearances, was shunned to the reserves before a deal with Marseille was struck.

The 30-year-old, who signed for the Premier League outfit in 2015, was arguably West Ham’s best player at the time, but his actions left a sour taste in the mouths of Bilic and the team.

The club’s co-chairman David Sullivan has opened up about his feelings on the fallout, and has claimed that he would have kept Payet at the club and let him rot.

In an interview with talkSPORT, Sullivan said:

“We knew Dimitri was flawed, and that’s why we got him for £10.5million. It was a fantastic buy, but we knew we bought a flawed individual and someone who could well go on strike – he had done it all before.

“That’s why he never reached his full potential as a player and why big clubs have steered clear of him. But, I’ve got to say he was a fantastic servant for the club. He gave us 18 wonderful months, particularly the first 12 months.

“Personally, I would have made him stick it out for six months and given him a hard time, but if the manger says he’s unsettling the whole camp, you’ve got to support the manager.”

Since the businessman’s quotes got aired, West Ham fans have had their say on Twitter, and there have been differing views.

As reported by The Mirror, West Ham United have not yet given up their pursuit of Portuguese international midfielder William Carvalho.

What’s the story?

West Ham’s season has started poorly but with some time still left before the transfer window shuts at the end of August, supporters will be hoping that the club can take a dip back into the transfer market this summer.

One player they continue to pursue is Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho. That’s according to The Mirror, who say that despite the Hammers having a £22m bid rejected for the 25-year-old, they have re-opened talks on a potential £30m switch to the London Stadium.

Described by Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol as potentially ‘one of the best deals of the summer’, it certainly seems to be a transfer story that Irons supporters can get excited about.

Midfield controller

There’s no doubt that with the acquisition of Javier Hernandez that the Hammers now have someone capable of sticking chances away and what they arguably need now is a midfielder that can really get their foot on the ball and dictate the tempo of a match.

That’s the kind of thing that Carvalho has offered for Sporting and Portugal in his career so far, playing top-flight football at the club since 2013 and winning 37 caps for his national team.

At 25 he’s coming into his prime and appears ready for the step up to one of Europe’s big leagues. Can he be the midfield maestro that Slaven Bilic is looking for to bring the Irons to the next level?