West Ham are planning to make serious moves in this summer’s transfer window in order to complete an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation, and Nuno’s side will have to compete with two Championship rivals, Bristol City and Swansea City, to secure the signature of one of the EFL’s hottest properties right now.

An action-packed window at both ends is expected at the London Stadium, where Jarrod Bowen, Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka – among many others – could all depart over the summer months.

Wholesale player departures will only be necessary as the Hammers attempt to lower their pay bill and balance the books, with reports claiming that the East London club must earn £150 million in sales before the window closes.

West Ham have also been linked with a number of players, including Cardiff City’s Rubin Colwill and Dylan Lawlor, Middlesbrough’s Dael Fry and Hayden Hackney, Celtic’s Arne Engels, Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck, and ex-Derby County loan star Bobby Clark. A rebuild beckons, and Nuno will have to strike a delicate balance between sanctioning big-money sales to recuperate finances and improving the squad at his disposal and filling holes as needed ahead of a bid for promotion straight out of the Championship.

However, if both Taty Castellanos and Callum Wilson go in the next weeks and months, the frontline may demand extra attention, prompting West Ham to join Bristol City and Swansea in the hunt for a breakout EFL star who will undoubtedly be on the move this summer.

West Ham, Bristol City, and Swansea in Leyton Orient’s Dom Ballard transfer race.

The Championship promotion favourites appear to be aiming to acquire a plethora of EFL-proven talent in the market, which is why they are apparently interested in signing Dom Ballard from Leyton Orient.

This development follows a recent Daily Mail report, which came after Sky Sports’ live trade blog (20:12PM) revealed Bristol City, Swansea, and Bundesliga side Werder Bremen’s interest last night.

The possibility of Ballard departing Orient, who only managed to survive in the League One on the final day of the previous season is an increasingly likely conclusion following the striker’s goal-laden debut season at Brisbane Road, in which he scored 23 goals and provided four assists in 40 games after joining from Southampton.

The 21-year-old’s prolific goalscoring performances earned him both the League One Player of the Season and the Young Player of the Season trophies, cementing his position as one of the most dangerous frontmen in the EFL.

Ballard, who previously had loan spells in the third tier with Reading, Blackpool, and Cambridge United before permanently joining Richie Wellens’ side, is expected to depart this summer.

Alan Nixon of The Sun stated in April via his Patreon service that the League One club intends to utilise the big-money sum that brought Jay Stansfield from Fulham to Birmingham City two years ago as a benchmark for determining Ballard’s market value.

Stansfield’s second move to Birmingham was a costly one, with Birmingham paying more than £10 million for the striker’s signature, and while Ballard’s price tag is still being debated, there’s every chance that the eventual winner of this transfer saga – whether it’s the Hammers, the Robins, the Swans, or someone else – will pay an eight-figure fee.

West Ham has Dom Ballard transfer advantage over Bristol City and Swansea.

If Orient were to double down and demand that sort of pay for Ballard, who has two years left on his present contract in East London with the option of an additional year, Bristol City and Swansea would most likely be priced out of pursuing their interest.

Werder Bremen, as a top-flight club, may be better positioned to fulfil the O’s prospective demands, but West Ham will also have that level of financial muscle and can even increase their spending power through a flurry of expected high-profile player sales.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail said that the thought of joining West Ham is “particularly appealing” to Ballard. That’s hardly surprising given that they’re considerably more likely to be in the promotion race than Michael Skubala’s or Vitor Matos’ teams, and the geographical advantage would also benefit the striker.

If West Ham are serious about landing Ballard, the early signs are that they could be in pole position to do so.