West Ham's summer has been a tale of rejection, thus far. Their short-lived interest in Michy Batshuayi has been cut off by the trophy-prospects of Chelsea whilst other deals seem to have died a quick death. It seem the Hammers' increased ambition is causing them to lose out, oddly.

Competing for supposed 'big name players' is all well and good, but it becomes trickier when these same players are also of interest to far more reputable clubs... clubs who can offer silverware opportunities, clubs with far deeper pockets and clubs who can boast better prospects than playing alongside Andy Carroll.

Slaven Bilic must feel like he has been fighting a losing battle so far this summer and the nation's favourite pundit must be wondering what he has to do to win one of these epic transfer battles.

Maybe Bilic needs a couple of pointers this summer, ey? Well, here are FIVE potential alternatives to Batshuayi...

Christian Benteke

If you ignore his rather indifferent spell with Liverpool, Christian Benteke would be a huge upgrade for the Hammers.

In fact, his spell at Liverpool hasn't even been quite as bad as many would let on and, with regular game time, the towering Belgian might just be the perfect man for West Ham. With all the aerial presence and physical dominance of Carroll and the technical ability of a far superior player, Benteke might just be the man for the Londoners.

Wilfried Bony

Don't be fooled by his dire spell at Manchester City, Wilfried Bony is still a striker of the highest calibre and his next club will be signing a class act.

When he was at Swansea, Bony was an under-appreciated star - just look at their decline since he left. His passing is one of his most impressive attributes, whilst those tree-trunk-thighs can protect possession better than almost any other forward in the division.

Carlos Bacca

Perhaps not the option that many would favour, Bacca could have a similar impact to Dimitri Payet. A late bloomer at the highest level, the AC Milan star might be looking to move on before he reaches the end of his peak years.

West Ham have shown they are not afraid to splash cash on slightly older players and Bacca, who turns 30 in September, could be the perfect signing.

His game is more rounded than Carroll's and he is more proven than Batshuayi - this could just be the signing of the summer.

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Wissam Ben Yedder

Ben Yedder, who is now 25, is yet to reach the potential that he showed when a younger player. However, an impressive season in Ligue 1 saw the Toulouse man net 17 league goals.

Able to play off of a main striker, too, Ben Yedder is an intelligent forward who will make smart runs and can find the killer pass when he drops off to find that extra space.

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Robin van Persie

If West Ham fancy taking a punt on a veteran, it's hard to find a better option than Robin van Persie.

The former Manchester United and Arsenal superstar clearly still has the quality to perform at the top level and his move to Turkey seemed quite a waste of his final few years at the top.

Superb technique doesn't just disappear and that experience sure could do the Hammers some good.

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