West Ham should chase two relegated Hornets from the nest.

West Ham has survived another season in the Premier League and should be looking to remove themselves from the relegation squabble next year. Ironically, two relegated players could help them do just that.

It’s the time of the season when fans of relegated teams ignore all the stories, and other fans pick over the remains of those sides. For any side looking to pick up relegated players, there are obvious warnings to heed (these players have already been relegated), but there are always good players in bad teams. And West Ham is looking for bargains.

Given that we are reported to have no transfer budget before we start selling players, budgets are incredibly important. And we’ve seen from the addition of Tomas Soucek how important a solid midfield is to our cause, so I think there are two players from Watford that could really improve the strength of the squad in the next campaign.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

Currently rated by transfermarkt.com at around £18 million, Doucoure would add versatility and power to our midfield. Capable of playing defensively or box to box he could provide a perfect partner to Soucek sitting just in front of Declan Rice, or play in front a defensive Rice/partnership to provide penetration from the middle. Not as capable on the passing front maybe, but a big improvement on the dynamism Mark Noble provides.

At 27 years old Doucoure played 37 of the 38 Premier League matches this season, only missing one through suspension. He would be an investment for the next 4 or 5 years and also wouldn’t add to our injury issues. We can’t have the same issues as previous years, where an injury in the middle has left us exposed for a run of weeks.

It will need us to raise around 25m, as I think that’s what he will cost, and leave us short on money to spend on other attacking options. But I think my next suggestion could really help there as well.

Ismaila Sarr

Signed last season for around £25 million, pushing Sarr as a budget attacking option might seem strange. It might even make a lot of Watford fans angry, given the promise he’s shown. 5 goals and 6 assists in 28 appearances in a side that have struggled for regular goals is a solid season for a 22-year-old. How would he fit into West Ham’s set up, and why would he be available cheap?

Well, Sarr can play on either wing or up top, so would add a lot of versatility to the squad. His pace would be a brilliant addition if we’re looking to attack with pace and directness in a front 3 involving Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio. Given that the reports are strongly linking Felipe Anderson to a move away from East London, this would maintain our squad versatility and give us the ability to attack any other team in the Premier League.

But given he’s priced around £30 million, why would he be a budget option? Well, he isn’t a player that’s going to want to hang around in the Championship, and given his age, the club won’t want to let him go just yet. So a loan deal with some clauses would be possible here I think.

Maybe a nominal fee of a few million, and an option to buy at a pre-determined fee if Watford doesn’t get promoted next year. Then if they do get promoted, we get the first option if they decide to sell anyway. Given the reduction of money available in the Championship, this could be good for all parties involved.

I think West Ham need a full-back most of all, but there are better options available than those at Watford. Daryl Janmaat is not pacey enough and I haven’t been overly impressed with Kiko Femenia. Maybe Adam Masina on the left? But again, I’m not sure he’s actually an improvement on what we have at the moment. So for now, Doucoure and Sarr are the two players I’d take on.