Signing Jesse Lingard could have made the difference for West Ham last season in their quest for Champions League football.
That's the verdict of former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison, who reckons the Hammers may struggle to compete on multiple fronts again this season without making more additions in the transfer market.
Last season, West Ham were pushing for a place in the top four for a large part of the season, only for David Moyes' side to eventually finish seventh in the table behind Arsenal and Manchester United. As a result, the Hammers are now set to compete in the Europa Conference League this season, having reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last term, where they lost out to Eintracht Frankfurt over two legs.
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But Morrison believes that replicating their success from last season might prove a step too far for the Hammers, with the former Palace forward identifying a key issue that he feels hampered West Ham in their quest to finish in the top four and reach the final of the Europa League.
Speaking to William Hill, he said: "What stopped West Ham last season maybe going all the way into the top four was not signing enough players in January, even though David Moyes said he tried," he said. "They were too reliant on Michail Antonio and needed another striker.
"If they had got someone like Jesse Lingard, I think he would have made a big difference. And then they picked up injuries to key players. Making a run in the Premier League and Europa League in back-to-back seasons is going to be a massive ask, definitely."
Lingard was linked with West Ham again this summer following his release from Manchester United, but the former Hammers loanee has now signed a one-year contract with newly-promoted Nottingham Forest instead.
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