The summer transfer window will prove important as Potter looks to put his own stamp on his squad, but the Hammers are not likely to spend as much as last summer when they splashed out more than £100million to improve the squad, backing Lopetegui significantly.
That means Potter and his recruitment staff will need to be clever about their signings, and young players could prove key.
One player who is being linked is Anderlecht talent Mario Stroeykens, who is attracting attention at 20 years of age.
The Athletic have reported that Stroeykens is on the Hammers’ radar ahead of the summer having already racked up 94 senior league appearances for Anderlecht, while he actually played as a youngster against West Ham in the Europa League in 2022.
He has made 31 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring four and assisting six.
The attacking midfielder is a regular for Belgium under-21s, making 12 appearances for his nation at that age group so far.
There has also been talk of Bayern Munich being interested, with Bayern boss Vincent Kompany having coached the midfielder at Anderlecht, handing him his senior debut.
Stoeykens is only under contract until 2026 as things stand, so there could be a deal to be done for the right fee this summer.
