© GiveMeSportManchester United loanee Jesse Lingard in training at West Ham
Loan signing Jesse Lingard has revolutionised West Ham's season with 12 Premier League goal involvements and it is crucial that the Hammers can secure his signature in the summer transfer window.
However, according to the Daily Mail, West Ham are unable to match Lingard's £100,000-a-week wage demands as a result of the global crisis.
But where there's a will, there's a way - and with that in mind, GIVEMESPORT looks at three players West Ham should get rid of immediately to make room for Lingard on the wage bill.
All wage figures provided by Spotrac.
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Three players West Ham should get rid of
Andriy Yarmolenko (£115k per week): The Ukrainian winger sits on a hefty wage of £115k per week. This seems excessive for a player that has made just one league start this term and bar Mark Noble, he has the lowest WhoScored rating of any player in the current West Ham squad.
In fairness, he has struggled with injuries throughout the season missing 74 days so far according to Transfermarkt, but ultimately this is yet another reason to let him go.
Yarmolenko's current deal runs to 2024, however the Hammers need to get him off their books as soon as possible as his wages alone could fund the demands of Lingard.
Read More - Summer transfer window: When does it open and who will move this summer?
Manuel Lanzini (£70k per-week): The 28-year-old is set to remain at the club for another two seasons based on his contract length. Whilst his talent has been crucial to the Hammers over the years, his availability and playtime has been declining with a combined 27 starts across the last three Premier League campaigns.
However, this term he has been unavailable for just one game and David Moyes has opted to leave him out of the side preferring the likes of Lingard and Pablo Fornals.
He has essentially already been replaced this season with Lingard and as the England international has taken the Argentine's minutes, Lanzini has no place in the squad going forward.
Ryan Fredericks (£40k per-week): Fredericks is out of contract in the summer of 2022, so the time to sell is now to maximise any potential funds. The 28-year-old is another player to struggle with injuries and has missed seven games this season according to Transfermarkt, although in the previous year the right back had missed as many as 148 days.
Cutting their losses with the player would make sense, especially considering the impact of one of their new recruits Vladimir Coufal who has dominated that position for the Hammers. He's second only to Aaron Cresswell in the assists charts.
The club also have Ben Johnson who has had a breakout season for West Ham in defence and he has been the preferred back-up option for Moyes, featuring in 14 league games.