West Ham want to sign three Southampton stars this summer | OneFootball

A common strategy Premier League teams outside the top seven undertake is to poach the best players from teams that will be relegated to the Championship. West Ham sit comfortably outside the European places in 16th, though the futility of the three relegation candidates is so marked that they are both at no threat of relegation while owning the knowledge of exactly which teams will go down at the end of the campaign.

Southampton have been the definition of dreadful this season, as they are dead last with barely half as many points as the two other teams doomed to demotion - Ipswich Town and Leicester City. But West Ham have been so disappointing this season that even the best players on the worst team in the league would be assets to their cause.

According to a report from Steve Kay of Football Transfers, West Ham are interested in signing Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and 19-year-old phenom Tyler Dibling, who has made most of his starts in 2024/25 on the right wing.

Tyler Dibling is the pick of the litter

Furthermore, Claret and Hugh's Matt Kemp reports that the Hammers remain interested in signing Southampton's 27-year-old fullback Kyle Walker-Peters.

Ramsdale has been one of the Saints' better players this season, which, while not saying all that much, would make him an upgrade on the Hammers' current starting keeper, Alphonse Areola. West Ham need to clean house in goal, and Ramsdale could help.

Dibling would obviously be the best possible signing from Southampton for not only West Ham, but pretty much any other team in the Premier League. While just about anyone else on the Saints should be met with a healthy dose of skepticism as a potential transfer target, Dibling is a real gem in the rough. He works hard on both ends of the pitch and averages a lovely 4.9 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per 90 in the Premier League.

Lastly, Walker-Peters is a low-risk signing as a free agent, provided West Ham aren't silly enough to blow too much on the 27-year-old in wages. Walker-Peters is a proven Premier League right back with the versatility to play left back.

West Ham don't need a starting right back after Aaron Wan-Bissaka proved to be one of the few summer hits for the Hammers last year, but they could use a backup to replace Vladimir Coufal - and a backup on the left to veteran Emerson Palmieri.