What now for West Ham?
It was a drawn out process, but the worst kept secret in football has finally come to an end. That is the British record Transfer of former Hammers captain Declan Rice. But with this transfer saga ending, it has spawned many more, however this time the sellers become the buyers. But what signings should Moyes be targeting for the upcoming season? A poor season last year ended with a historical night, but the memories of the first 3 quarters of the season still lingers somewhat with the West Ham faithful, who know that serious reinforcement is needed if they are to avoid another relegation battle and hopefully challenge in Europe for the 3rd season in a row.
The obvious place to start the rebuild, will be by replacing Declan Rice with a new midfield partner for Soucek and Paqueta. West ham have moved quickly in finding their replacement, with a rumoured bid for Fulham midfielder Palhinha having already been rejected. If They do manage to prise the Brazilian away from Craven Cottage, just one year after joining the West London side, then Moyes will be getting a player whose defensive statistics put him right up there alongside Declan Rice. What Palhinha is missing though, is the ball carrying ability that makes Rice one of the most dominant midfielders in the league, however a trio involving Soucek and Paqueta would offer an exciting blend of pace power and technical ability that should excite The Irons fans.
But what about the rest of the side? Goals were a huge problem last season, despite the big money arrival of Scamacca, and the January signing of Danny Ings who scored a joint total of just 5 league goals last season. The forward roles have been a bit of a sore topic for West ham over the years with 55 different forward players having been bought since the start of the Gold and Sullivan era began in 2010, including big money moves for Haller, Ayew and Vlasic having varying degrees of success. Not much has been talked about in the way of striker arrivals so far, though it may be a case of having to unload one of their existing strikers to free up room for a new face, With Scamacca the subject of interest from many Italian sides. If he does leave then we could see last year’s interest in Broja reignited, who himself has yet to prove he can be consistently prolific at the top level, however he would offer a physical presence and his time at Southampton certainly showed plenty of promise.
Historically, Moyes is at his best when he has a solid base at the back end of the pitch. Last season saw Aguerd have an impressive debut season, becoming somewhat of a fan favourite, whilst Zouma remains a strong presence in the back four. This hasn’t stopped West Ham showing interest in former Manchester United captain, Harry Maguire whose stock is at a low right now. Although his club form has been underwhelming in recent years, his performances on the international stage prove he still has plenty to offer, especially as his demands at United are very different to what would be expected from him by Moyes. Under Ten Hag he is asked to play on the ball more, and although we have seen a version of Maguire that is more than capable of playing out the back, it just hasn’t worked for him in recent times and a fresh start could see the best brought out of him. An interesting side note, is that it would also give West Ham the option to play three at the back, a role where arguably we have seen the best of Maguire especially for England.
Despite a poor season in the league last year, the Hammers will hope that it was merely a blip when compared to the previous two years. Big signings from last season have now had a year of premier league experience which can only be beneficial in having a more settled side going into the new season. Ultimately, it is important that this window is a success for both Moyes and the club. Moyes will know that his job was at times last year, a loud topic of discussion amongst the fan base, and the shine of the Conference league win will not last forever.
