West Ham will be in transfer mode, not holiday mode, after season finale at Watford

No break | Pellegrini says the hard work begins after next weekend's match at Watford
REUTERS/David Klein

As players eye up hotels and flights as they descend into holiday mode following the final game of the season next weekend, the hard work begins now for Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham.

The Chilean is one game away from finishing his first season at the helm in east London, but says the success of his second hangs on the work he does across the next month alongside sporting director Mario Husillos.

Pellegrini will this week, following a 3-0 win over Southampton in the final home game of the season, sit down with each and every player to lay out their future at West Ham. There will be awkward conversations to be had with more than a couple as he looks to push the Hammers into Europe next season.

“When we are finished of course we need to continue working, we need to improve,” Pellegrini said. “Players will go to holidays and we will start with the sporting director and the owner to try to think what we must do to improve next season.

“Does the manager get a break? Never. Because you cannot arrive for holidays when now we start working. I think during the holidays, this is my way of thinking, I am always in contact with the sporting director talking about different players, continue seeing different options, which is the better. So not a complete holiday but it doesn’t matter.”

In Pictures | West Ham vs Southampton | 04/05/2019

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Owners David Sullivan and David Gold pumped £100million into their playing squad last season in order to provide Pellegrini with the tools and talent to play his way. The former Manchester City manager has an unwavering faith in his philosophy, but it requires the ‘technical players’ he calls on to make the difference. Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini perhaps embody what Pellegrini admires in a footballer most, but cannot be the sole focus of investment this summer, and the 65-year-old knows more than most just how important the next few weeks will be.

“I always try to have my clear idea [of what we need] but it is so difficult to have it,” Pellegrini said. “I think as a manager 80 per cent of your successful performance of a season is in the way you build your squad in this moment of the year so we need to talk, see the different options and we need to see players who maybe will not continue.

“Everyone before they go on holiday must know their futures this week. I will talk with all the squad.”

The target for next term, for both Pellegrini and the club’s overall plan, has to be Europe. West Ham have fared well against the top six this season, but off the pitch they still cannot match the financial muscle.

“Every day it is more difficult [to sign players] because every day the players are costing more so you need more money,” he added.

“Maybe the difference between the big teams and the others is too big. But here in the Premier League with the TV rights, every club has good money to buy good players so you cannot compete with Manchester City, United or Arsenal but there a lot of players with good motivation that I think you can have a good season.”

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