Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has named West Ham United among a number of clubs who can compete for the Premier League over the next few seasons - but left out current leaders Arsenal.
David Moyes has turned the Hammers from relegation fighters to Champions League hopefuls following back-to-back top-seven finishes and reaching the UEFA Europa League semi-finals in the 2021/22 season.
This season sees West Ham compete in the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they have won all of their group games to date and have qualified for the knockout stage, but a slow start in domestic competition has left the club sitting in 15th prior to the World Cup break.
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Ten Hag, who joined the Old Trafford outfit in the summer, is rebuilding United in the aim of once again competing for the Premier League. And speaking about the teams who will challenge alongside his squad, the Dutch coach singled out West Ham as a team to watch out for over the next few years.
"There’s a change in circumstances when you compare [the Premier League] with five or 10 years ago. The competition is much tougher," he said per Football365. “Newcastle are coming, even West Ham, maybe not now in the table but they have huge investment.
“Spurs definitely and I don’t need to talk about [Manchester] City and Liverpool or Chelsea. You can quickly count seven or eight clubs that can compete in this league.
“It’s also about strategy, not just money. But it’s clear that when you don’t have the right players and quality players you will not be successful and achieve the targets you set.”
West Ham return to Premier League action on Boxing Day when they travel to league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, a team the former Ajax manager failed to mention.
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