West Ham United may be known as the Academy of Football, but on FIFA 19 there are no expectations to develop the next global superstar.

Instead, take on the London Stadium job and prepare for a club ready for instant success.

The board’s expectations

While the board would like one academy player to feature five times for the first team, they would much rather you sign a midfielder or forward who demands a crucial squad role in order to expose the brand.

Beyond the transfer window, you will be tasked with qualifying for the Europa League in your first season and later increasing the club’s worth by 20%.

The transfer kitty

The Irons’ transfer pot is heavily leaned towards the outright budget over wages, yet a tweak to further implement that is required for the 86/14% split leaves £177,105 for salaries and £54.8million to spend.

There might not be too much scope for adjusting the budget, but the base wage allowance is excessive in comparison to how many players you would be able to sign and who there is to sell.

Three players to buy

Kenny Tete

With Pablo Zabaleta nearing the end of his worthwhile professional career, and coming in at a 76 rating, the Hammers could do with a new right-back. One route to go down is Lyon’s Kenny Tete, who will set you back close to £15million, as the French side are tough negotiators.

The 22-year-old Dutchman can cement the role for years to come, however, as he develops into a fast, strong tackling full-back. His high defensive workrate will also ensure he stays anchored to the backline, preventing you from being caught out by a quick counter-attack.

Ruben Neves

West Ham pulled off what seemed like a mega coop in the summer with Jack Wilshere joining on a free transfer, but the Irons could still gain from signing another midfielder.

Wolves sensation Ruben Neves starts off with a higher rating than the east London’s clubs offerings, and can smash into the high-80s at his peak. His departure from Molineux will also meet the board’s demands for a crucial first-team addition, all for between £20m and £22million.

Sebastien Haller

Eintracht Frankfurt will look for more than £20m for the Frenchman, but are more than open to negotiating before settling on an offer in the region of £18m.

The 24-year-old would be the perfect strike partner to Marko Arnautovic, by bringing his 91 strength, 82 finishing and 82 attacking positioning to the London Stadium.

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Three players to sell

Carlos Sanchez

Following the emergence of Declan Rice and Pedro Obiang harbouring the same rating on FIFA 19, Carlos Sanchez is the first name to hit the chopping block.

The Colombian is still valued at £7.5million, the same as Obiang, but at 32 has a lot less to offer than the Spaniard, let alone the London-born teenager.

Andy Carroll

There’s a plethora of options to use at striker in east London, but when Arnautovic and Andy Carroll are both measured at 6 foot 4, then the Newcastle product has nothing unique to offer.

The former Liverpool man is also in the final year of his deal, and his departure would add a further £7.5m to the budget and £66k to the wage tank.

Robert Snodgrass

Scotland international Robert Snodgrass has proven himself to be a key figure for Manuel Pellegrini in real life, but in FIFA 19 he’s not the versatile squad option you’d love to have.

The 30-year-old would be better served on the transfer list than on the bench, as Michail Antonio is the better option as a substitute – using his pace against weary legs should Andriy Yarmolenko need a rest.

Three for the future

Declan Rice

The teenage sensation’s rise to prominence in the Premier League has been represented by EA Sports with a potential rating of 84.

Rice’s starting attributes, unfortunately, represent his base 72 rating. But, with medium-attacking and high-defensive workrates and 75 stand tackle to 71 slide, he’s a great option to utilise from the off.

Issa Diop

Summer acquisition Issa Diop stakes a claim for a starting spot alongside Fabian Balbuena, with the Paraguayan the highest rated centre-half West Ham offer.

Diop comes in at the same level as Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna, but, thanks in part to his age he carries great potential – enough to one day hit an 86 rating.

Reece Oxford

The teenage prodigy Reece Oxford is West Ham’s only serious shout for a kid to break into the first team on FIFA 19, but his base rating of 67 makes his regular inclusion questionable.

Other than 72 strength and sprint speed, the teenager has nothing amazing to fight his cause and can only reach a maximum rating of 80, either at centre-back, defensive-midfield or right-back.