David Moyes has already made it clear that his transfer budget will not be unlimited this summer and that a club record fee will not be spent on any single player.
In previous transfer windows, the club have gone for marque signings, twice breaking their record spend with a £45 million deal for Sebastien Haller and £35m on Felipe Anderson.
Neither player has been a success at the London Stadium with the Hammers taking a £20m hit on Haller when he departed for Ajax in January and Anderson spending the season at Porto in an unsuccessful loan period.
West Ham have been linked with a move for Tammy Abraham but Moyes has said a permanent deal would be too costly for the Hammers if Chelsea's asking price of £40m is to be believed.
"It would rule us out completely so if that’s the figure and that’s what’s being said, we are ruled out. We don’t have that money," he said.
"We don’t have that to buy a striker at that price, no. I don’t think we will be making a purchase of that (amount) for any one player. I’d be surprised if we were."
There is an alternative for West Ham as a short-term stop-gap and it is a man Moyes knows well.
Marko Arnautovic played for the Scot during his first spell in charge of the Hammers and it was Moyes who moved the Austrian from his wide position to a lethal central striker.
Arnautovic pushed for a move away from West Ham but after captain Mark Noble's glowing reference of the striker, it can be assumed he would be welcomed back into the dressing room.
"Everyone was worried about him when he came. What a funny, funny man though. What a player when he turned it on, some days in training, you couldn’t get close to the fella. I was really sad to see him go," Noble told That Peter Crouch Podcast.
Arnautovic does not fit the model of young, hungry players Moyes has gone for in the likes of Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen, and Benrahma but is not so different in age and experience from recent signing Craig Dawson. At 32, a short-term deal could be the way to go for the former Champions League winner.
Another experienced player Moyes may look at is Ryan Bertrand of Southampton. The left-back announced that he will be leaving the Saints on a free transfer this summer following his decision not to renew his contract.
The former Chelsea Champions League winner said: "This has been a difficult decision for me, but the time has come for me to seek a new challenge and find a new home that allows me the freedom to play and maximise my contribution to the team."
West Ham have two options at left-back in Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku but both have faced injury issues this season. Masuaku has only started two of the last 24 matches and Cresswell has often been called upon to play as a left-sided centre-back.
The signing of Bertrand would add international and European experience to the squad and would provide excellent competition and rotation options on the left side of the Hammers team.
Bertrand is another player on the wrong side of 30 but with no transfer fee due the only stumbling block would be his wages, otherwise, it is an almost risk-free move for West Ham.
If the Hammers secure European football for next season, as they are favourites to do, two relatively simple and risk-free transfer moves could be just what the squad needs to add depth and vital experience to it.
