David Moyes says he will look to bolster his squad with British and homegrown players this summer, but has warned West Ham are unlikely to be “huge spenders” when the window opens next month.
The Hammers made eight new signings during a £170million overhaul of their squad last summer, of which three came from English football, while Alphonse Areola signed from Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent deal having been on loan at the London Stadium the previous year.
The most high-profile - and expensive - additions, however, came from overseas with club-record buy Lucas Paqueta, striker Gianluca Scamacca and Nayef Aguerd signed in deals worth a total of around £110m.
Moyes has suggested that last summer’s transition contributed heavily to the Hammers’ poor League campaign, with that trio all taking time to settle in east London. Aguerd missed most of the first half of the season with an ankle problem, while Paqueta is only now showing his best form and Scamacca has endured an injury-hit campaign, eventually curtailed by knee surgery.
West Ham have been linked with moves for England internationals James Ward-Prowse and Harvey Barnes and Moyes confirmed he will look closer to home this summer.
“I would say yes, I think I would like to add more a little bit more of British players or homegrown players if we possibly could,” he said.
“I wouldn’t set out to take one of them if I saw something better or I thought there was a better alternative.”
With Mark Noble having retired at the end of last season and Declan Rice set to be sold this summer, Moyes’s desire to replenish the homegrown contingent in his dressing room is obvious.
The club hope to command a fee of more than £100m for Rice but last summer’s spree was offset only by the sale of Issa Diop to Fulham for an initial £12m and Moyes suggested similar spending is unlikely.
“I don’t see us being huge spenders,” he added. “Maybe, but I don’t really think that will be the situation this year. Where we can and where we need to add to the squad, then we will do so.”
