West Ham United need to gut the roster and refurbish the team in the summer transfer window after an abysmal 2024/25 campaign.
The Hammers could use reinforcement from back to front as the club bids to bounce back and potentially secure a European slot next season.
One position that needs to be resolved is that of midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who is facing legal problems for spot-fixing. The Irons must move on from the Brazilian this summer.
The signs are ominous for Paqueta, and beyond that, his form has been atrocious. West Ham need a replacement, and he could be right underneath the club’s noses.
Amid West Ham’s frustrations after the draw with Southampton over the weekend, Leicester City suffered relegation. The Hammers should enter the race to sign their playmaker Bilal El Khannouss to replace Paqueta.
The Moroccan international has caught the eye in the Premier League for the Foxes since signing for £21 million last summer, recording three goals and five assists in 33 appearances.
El Khannouss can glide between the 10 and 8 positions in the West Ham midfield, depending on which set-up manager Graham Potter chooses.
El Khannouss has been described by former Genk first-team technical and individual coach Miguel Ribeiro as a player with extraordinary vision, with his seven big chances created in the Premier League backing the statement.
“I used to tell people that he had eyes in his back because he sees everything,” Ribeiro told Sky Sports.
With Paqueta either leaving to return to Brazil, as has been mooted or potentially taking a lengthy ban, West Ham need to secure a replacement. El Khannouss fits the bill.
West Ham may have to pay north of the £21 million Leicester initially spent, but relegation will likely take away their leverage in potential negotiations.
El Khannouss would inject much-needed creativity and dynamism into a stagnant midfield. With youth on his side and Premier League experience already under his belt, the 20-year-old could be a cornerstone in the West Ham rebuild.
If the Hammers are serious about turning the page and building a team capable of challenging for Europe again, this is the kind of smart, forward-thinking move they must make.
(Stats from Transfermarkt and Sofascore)