West Ham United, who were relegated from the Premier League to the Championship, are already seen as early season title contenders in the second division.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s management will bring the Hammers back to Championship level after a 14-year absence.

The vastly experienced Portuguese head coach will also be hoping for much more success in his first full season in E20 after taking over from Graham Potter last September following an extremely poor start to the 2025/26 campaign, which was a major factor in the club’s eventual relegation despite a high points total of 39.

Naturally, considering the quality of players who are still on the Irons’ roster at the present, transfer talk is already rife in East London, with the summer window officially open for business.

West Ham, along with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, have already had key assets and high-profile names linked with moves away, most notably Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville, both of whom have reportedly received interest from Manchester United.

It has also been suggested that the club needs earn more than £100 million to assist balance their financial books after missing out on the vast amount of commercial revenue afforded by being in the Premier League.

As a result, Nuno, who has a Championship title under his belt, has enough to think about when it comes to reconstructing a group capable of achieving promotion at the first attempt.

And it is clear that the Hammers will not have it all their own way when it comes to potential new signings between now and the end of August.

West Ham United face a danger from Crystal Palace in the race for Celtic striker Arne Engels.

Indeed, with the likes of Fernandes’ services becoming increasingly sought after by the Red Devils, Arsenal, and UEFA Champions League back-to-back winners Paris Saint-Germain, a slew of names have been linked with a move to the London Stadium to fill the void that the 21-year-old is expected to leave behind.

An in-depth report from West Ham-themed site, The West Ham Way, recently outlined that some with strong recent pedigree in the Championship have been on the club’s radar, including Jordan James, who won the division’s Young Player of the Season, and its overall Player of the Season, Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, who is still receiving strong interest from Everton.

Arne Engels, Celtic’s midfield sensation, was also mentioned in the report, with the Belgian playing a significant role in the club’s Scottish Premiership title win under Martin O’Neill.

However, it has now emerged that, while the 22-year-old appears destined to leave Parkhead this summer, it may not be to this area of London, with West Ham’s capital rivals, Crystal Palace, reportedly’serious competitors’ for his signature following the appointment of Pierre Sage in place of Oliver Glasner.

The UEFA Conference League winners are claimed to regard the seven-goal striker as a direct replacement for Adam Wharton, who has been extensively linked with a move to Liverpool, which would have implications for the Irons’ next Championship opponents Blackburn Rovers.

Despite West Ham’s prominence, Arne Engels may be influenced by a Premier League move.

Engels joined Celtic for a club-record £11 million fee from Bundesliga club FC Augsburg two summers ago, and he has continued his upward trajectory in Glasgow, putting his name in lights in major domestic matches and on the UEFA Champions League stage.

He was also the subject of three rejected bids from Nottingham Forest in January, totalling up to £25 million, and the East Midlands club is thought to be interested in making a move as Vitor Pereira enters his first full season at the City Ground.

With Palace set to compete in the UEFA Europa League next season, it would be unsurprising to see Engels swayed by a Premier League move in the coming weeks, even though West Ham are a club of enormous stature these days, and the opportunity to help them rebuild is likely to be an appealing proposition for many players.