The Euro 2024 stars in the making West Ham could target this summer - including £21m midfielder

It is set to be a summer of two halves; the first fixated squarely on Euro 2024, the second slinking towards the usual cut and thrust of a breathless transfer window. In many respects, the former may inform the latter. It is not uncommon for clubs to conduct business based on positive showings at major international tournaments - even with the inherent risk that poses.

But for every flop, there is a diamond, and given the eagerness with which West Ham are expected to weigh into the market over the coming weeks, they could do far worse than keeping half an eye on proceedings in Germany to see if they can stumble across any potential new recruits.

With that in mind, we’ve picked out five possible options below. None have been linked with the Hammers just yet, but all could prove to be very worthwhile investments...

Lazar Samardzic

An unused substitute in Serbia’s 1-0 defeat to England on Sunday evening, the Udinese midfielder is a huge talent who is being heavily linked with an exit in the coming weeks. Juventus are understood to be interested, as are Borussia Dortmund and Brighton and Hove Albion, but West Ham could secure a real coup by entering - and winning - the race for his signature. At 22, he has a big future ahead of him, and is valued at around £21 million.

Vladyslav Vanat

West Ham’s need for a striker this summer is no grand secret, and while Vanat may not be the eye-catching name that many Hammers are hoping for, he is a pacy, technically gifted centre forward who finished last season with 14 goals in 30 outings for Dynamo Kiev - handing him the golden boot in the Ukrainian Premier League. The 22-year-old only penned a contract extension in his home country fairly recently, but he is expected to leave sooner rather than later.

Mario Mitaj 

With Aaron Cresswell seemingly on his way out, West Ham could really use reinforcements at left-back this summer. Mitaj is a 20-year-old Albanian currently on the books at Lokomotiv Moscow, and after a couple of hugely promising seasons in Russia, he is beginning to stir speculation involving the likes of Italian giants Juventus. Again, there are worse races West Ham could insert themselves into.

Leopold Querfeld

Already linked with Crystal Palace, as well as both Rangers and Celtic, Querfeld is nicknamed ‘The Austrian Wall’, and is a towering centre-back who has looked very impressive for Rapid Vienna in recent times. Still only 20, he has plenty of potential left to be realised, but already, he has the look of a huge, huge talent.

Strahinja Pavlovic

And finally, Pavlovic is another central defender worth watching over the coming weeks. Another Serbian talent, the Red Bull Salzburg idolises former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, and shares more than few of his compatriots no-nonsense traits. Physically imposing and refreshingly old school, if the Hammers are in the market for a young centre-back with grit in abundance, then they should perhaps begin keeping tabs on on the former AS Monaco talent.