West Ham chairman David Gold has spoken out about about the difficulty young players face in their attempts to break into the first team squad.
The Hammers look set to offload 20-year-old defender Reece Burke on loan to Bolton, while fellow young defender Reece Oxford has joined German side Borussia Monchengladbach on a year-long temporary deal.
The duo would have faced a difficult battle to break into the first team squad at the London Stadium next season, with Winston Reid, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna and Jose Fonte all vying for a starting role in the heart of the defence.
Club chairman Gold, who shares his role with fellow businessman David Sullivan, believes that the influx of international players to the Premier League will continue to make it difficult for youngsters to earn a break.
He says that, like fans, he would love to see a future star break through the ranks, but knows that modern football is about earning results, and that the manager has to have the best possible players at his disposal to succeed.
He told the Sun: “The bottom line is that the manager has to pick the best team to win. Winning matches is everything now.
“Fans want to see exciting football and see their team win, yet they also want to see local kids coming through the ranks. You can’t have it all ways.
“The quality of competition for young players these days is greater than ever.
“They are largely internationals which makes it difficult for our kids to get in the team. It’s a sad fact of life.”
West Ham are looking to have an active transfer window this summer, and have been linked to the likes of Arsenal forwards striker Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott, as well as Manchester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho.
All three would pose a threat to young striker Ashley Fletcher’s Hammers’ career, with the 21-year-old managing to earn 16 Premier League appearances last season thanks to Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho’s injuries.