West Ham can finally solve their left-back problem with genius transfer – and it won't cost them a penny

West Ham have plenty of work to do this summer to rebuild their squad in Graham Potter’s image and to put what has proven to be a difficult season behind them – but after spending a significant amount in 2024, they may need to do some bargain hunting to get hold of all the players they need.

One problem position that hasn’t earned as many headlines as the club’s long search for a striker is left-back. As it stands, the club only have two senior players available in that position – Emerson Palmieri, who has not been entirely convincing this season and who has been linked with a move away, and 35-year-old Aaron Creswell, who plays infrequently and whose contract is up in any case. At least one full-back will be a requisite this summer, which is where a high-profile free agent might come in…

The England international available for free this summer

Given that the Hammers may have limited funds and already need to sign a number nine, finding cheap ways to improve other positions will be a must – and one proven performer at Premier League level is coming to the end of his own deal and may be available on a free by the end of June.

Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell is still only 25 and has played well enough in the top flight to earn two England caps. He could also be available without a transfer fee this summer, as his £40,000-per-week deal at Selhurst Park is due to run down. Players of Mitchell’s calibre rarely hit the open market, and there will likely be plenty of bids for his services, but West Ham make a lot of sense as a destination.

Mitchell will likely want a significant wage increase, but that shouldn’t be beyond West Ham’s means – and he should also provide some balance to the team, as he has a broadly similar profile to Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right.

Like the former Manchester United full-back, Mitchell is a defender first and foremost but with the pace to get forward and support the attack as required. Potter typically prefers to be aggressive with wing-backs, but with Wan-Bissaka tied down to a long-term contract it is likely that he will have to adjust his tactics to accommodate the 27-year-old’s more defensive skillset.

Like Wan-Bissaka, Mitchell is a fine tackler who lets little get past him, and his presence would add some defensive stability to a back line which has conceded more goals than any team outside the bottom four – but also like Wan-Bissaka, he has the gas to get forward and support attacks even if he isn’t a truly first-rate creator of chances. That said, he has both created more shooting chances and generated more assists in the Premier League than Emerson over the past couple of seasons.

Free upgrades in positions of need

By most key metrics, Mitchell would be an upgrade over Emerson and a fine starter for any team with ambitions to push for the top half of the table and European qualification, and the fact that transfer fees wouldn’t be involved will make it easier for the club to stay within the bounds of the profit and sustainability rules if there are any concerns over meeting those requirements. Fortunately for West Ham, the free agent market is unusually strong this year, and other options could be on the table.

The Lille duo of Angel Gomes and Jonathan David will attract a lot of interest when their contracts expire at the end of the season, and both should and likely will be on the Hammers’ radar.

David is a proven goalscorer with pace and a predatory finishing touch – he’s already scored 12 Ligue 1 goals from 20 games this season and hit 71 goals in his first four league seasons in France. That kind of output has been missing from the London Stadium for some time and while the Canadian international will likely command some hefty wages, West Ham will likely be among the clubs who attempt to enter negotiations for him.

A deal for Gomes may be more challenging given Tottenham Hotspur’s long-standing interest, but he’s another England international coming onto the free market this summer and would offer a rock-solid base of possession and some added dynamism to a midfield which may well lose Edson Álvarez, who came close to a loan move to AS Monaco in January. Again, his wage demands will be high, but if West Ham can strike a bargain he would represent a way to improve the team significantly without any up-front cost – and with his passing range and technical quality, he seems like a player that Potter would be very appreciative of.

West Ham have many of the building blocks of a good Premier League team, but the gaps in the starting eleven have bitten them over the course of a challenging campaign – but the free market could offer several budget-friendly solutions if West Ham are willing to pay top dollar when it comes to wages and signing fees. If the numbers work, West Ham could be well positioned to take steps forward without putting an immediate dent in the balance sheet this summer.