When summer window opens and closes and how many signings West Ham need

This is all on the proviso that West Ham remain in the Premier League of course.

Here’s when the summer transfer window opens and closes and how many signings West Ham will likely need.

The exact date for the opening of the summer 2023 transfer window has not yet been announced.

Hammers summer window revolves around Rice departure

But if dates follow the same pattern as last year, then expect the window to open in early June. Around the 10-15th is the usual date.

West Ham and other English clubs will only be able to complete domestic transfer deals between the window opening in June and July 1st.

That is the date the window usually opens fully and the point at which international deals are permitted.

The 2022 summer window closed on September 1, and it is likely this year’s window will follow a similar pattern given there are a few days after the August bank holiday to finalise deals.

That gives West Ham and their rival English clubs around 12 weeks over the course of the summer to complete all of their transfer business.

When the summer transfer window opens and closes and how many signings West Ham will likely need

And there promises to be a lot to do for David Moyes, head of recruitment Rob Newman, vice-chair Karren Brady and majority stakeholder David Sullivan.

West Ham will have to fill the huge Rice-shaped hole as a top priority. The captain has been a near ever-present and West Ham have to ensure they finally have some adequate back-up and different options. So two signings as his replacement will be sensible business.

Aaron Cresswell, Manuel Lanzini, Angelo Ogbonna and Lukasz Fabianski are all officially out of contract in the summer.

But the Hammers hold extension options while Cresswell reportedly agreed an extension behind the scenes back in November.

Lanzini is widely expected to leave but the others are likely to remain on rolling one-year deals.

Lanzini likely to leave with host of other players facing an uncertain future

That means West Ham will need another midfielder to replace Lanzini.

There are also question marks over the future of a number of other players. That includes Michail Antonio – who turns 34 next season – Gianluca Scamacca, Danny Ings and Ben Johnson. Tomas Soucek could also be included in that mix.

Given Ogbonna’s age even if he does renew, Kurt Zouma’s injury issues, uncertainty over the consistency of Nayef Aguerd and Thilo Kehrer and Craig Dawson’s departure, at least one new starting centre-back is an absolute must for West Ham this summer.

A new striker is a top priority too given West Ham’s goalscoring problems this season. Even if Scamacca and Antonio remain at the club. West Ham would be wise to try and sell Ings to one of the promoted clubs as the move simply is not working out for club or player.

The other priority positions are at right-back and left-back. Young, modern, pacy full-backs are needed on both sides.

Minimum five and as many as eight arrivals needed

West Ham may get away with Cresswell and Emerson for one more season.

But at right-back – as dependable as Coufal is when fit and in form, the Hammers need a top quality young star who can make the position his own for years to come.

Johnson is not that man.

Should Moyes remain it is well known he prefers to work with a smaller squad. So how many transfers West Ham make will heavily depend on whether they qualify for the Europa League next season by winning the Conference League.

But by our calculations the Hammers need five top drawer new arrivals at the very least. And possibly seven or eight depending on departures.

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