Swansea City duo can help West Ham clinch Premier League return | OneFootball

West Ham United should look to sign Zan Vipotnik and Josh Tymon from Swansea City this summer

West Ham United's aim will be an immediate return to the Premier League next season following their recent relegation to the Championship, as Portuguese head coach Nuno Espirito Santo should target a double raid for one of their division rivals.

A disappointing year ended in misery for West Ham, whose 14-year stay in the top-flight came to a crushing end despite a 3-0 home victory on the final day over Leeds United.

Tottenham Hotspur's 1-0 win over Everton elsewhere meant the Hammers' fate was decided for them, as the 62,500-capacity London Stadium will be the host to the likes of Lincoln City, Bolton Wanderers, and Portsmouth next season, each of whom have played in the fourth tier in the past decade.

As the East London outfit prepare for life back in the Championship, Nuno will be busy preparing for what his squad may look like on the opening day away at Turf Moor to Burnley.

Nuno knows exactly what it takes to lift the second tier trophy, having done so with Wolverhampton Wanderers some eight years ago, and will be aiming to do so again, as the 52-year-old should plot a double raid on one of their division rivals in a move that could fire them back

West Ham should target swoop for Swansea City duo Zan Vipotnik and Josh Tymon

Action images

With Wolves, Nuno had ample backing and star power, which helped him achieve 99 points on the Old Gold's way to the Championship title, and having achieved European football three times in his career, twice with Wolves and once with Nottingham Forest, West Ham supporters know they are in safe hands.

However, in what will no doubt be a hugely busy summer at the London Stadium, West Ham will likely have to sell before they can buy, with the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Mateus Fernandes, and Jarrod Bowen attracting strong interest.

The Hammers' loss of Premier League revenue likely means that sales are a necessity, and as the club negotiates these potential outgoings, Nuno will be preparing approaches for potential incomings, and ought to plot a double raid for Swansea City pair Zan Vipotnik and Josh Tymon.

Vipotnik, 24, joined Swansea on a free transfer from Bordeaux in the summer of 2024, and endured a quiet first year in South Wales before exploding into life in the most recent campaign, with 23 goals and three assists in 44 league games, finishing as the Championship's outright top scorer.

Tymon, 27, joined the Swans from Stoke City in the summer of 2023 for a mere £2 million, and has become an ever-present at left-back at the Liberty Stadium, making 139 appearances in all competitions for the club since his arrival.

Vipotnik managed 23 goals from an expected 13.4 last season, the biggest over-performance in the division by some distance, whilst Tymon created 83 chances last season from left-back behind only Sorba Thomas and Hayden Hackney, and ahead of the likes of Imran Louza and Leif Davies, providing nine assists from those.

West Ham have previously registered an interest in the Slovenian forward, and with Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe likely to follow Callum Wilson out of the exit door this summer, a new centre-forward must be on the cards for Nuno.

Meanwhile, El Hadji Malick Diouf could also be on his way out of East London this summer after the Senegalese's solid performances for his country at the World Cup, and in that instance, West Ham would require an alternative in that position, as Tymon would be an excellent choice.

Swansea would likely command substantial fees to allow either to go, but both have displayed themselves to be amongst the very best in their position in the second tier, and would surely be worth every penny.

Although Vipotnik signed a new deal at Swansea until 2030 back in March, the Slovenian has also previously stated his ambition to play in the Premier League, and may view a move to West Ham as a better route to go down than to remain in South Wales.

West Ham are in for a lucrative rebuild this summer, and a double swoop for Vipotnik and Tymon ought to be on the cards for Nuno to help fire the Hammers back to the top flight.

Nuno must target the Championship's best this summer to ignite West Ham's promotion push

Action images

Heading into the 2026/27 campaign, West Ham will automatically be one of, if not the outright favourites for the title next season.

The club's stature and financial backing blow the majority of second-tier sides out of the water, and though they will have this advantage, this doesn't necessarily hand them three points in every fixture they play.

Nuno will be well aware of what it takes to guide a team to the Championship title, having done so previously with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and will almost certainly have a clear idea about what he wants his side to look like next season.

The Portuguese head coach will be targeting the best that he can possibly attract this summer, and Vipotnik and Tymon could help the 52-year-old to take his side to the next level.